Inspired by its innovative take on what the future of mobility will look like such as the combination of completely novel interior design using shy-tech and autonomous driving, artist Daan Roosegaarde has translated its core message into an installation creating a unique space, SYNC.
Starting point for the collaboration between Daan Roosegaarde and Adrian van Hooydonk — Senior Vice President BMW Group Design — and their team of designers were inspiring dialogues about the new space which the future car is becoming.
Autonomous driving vehicles need a strong interaction and connectivity between humans, vehicles and their surroundings in order to flawlessly navigate cities. As we are facing more complex times this connectivity principle is also key for human interaction in today’s societies. Roosegaarde’s installation addresses this theme with new creativity and imagination, to show the importance of human connectivity and interaction.
“When I was a boy I never stay inside, I always went outside,” says Daan Roosegaarde. “Playing in nature of the Netherlands, I was so used to personalize and customize the world around me; building tree-huts, looking at the flow of wandering ants, exploring new worlds. For me this is the essence of design; to create landscapes to which you feel connected, your mind, your body, with each other.”
SYNC by Roosegaarde is an immersive art installation in which you create your own space. The artwork is a landscape of light where visitors can create their own favorite space, connect with others and visualize their ‘sense of place’. The artwork shows contour lines which become visible by walking over a flexible membrane surface having laser scanning light underneath it. Your presence physically pushes the membrane down to the floor which therefore reveals lines of light. Where you walk a circle of blue light surrounds your presence, interacting with your behavior.
With more people the artwork creates shared spaces of light, making new interactive connections between people. Although high-tech, the artwork feels intuitive, with jelly-fish type of shapes occur and disappear. Accompanying the artwork is a special music soundscape, created by Berlin-based musical partnership “Tale of Us”.
Art inspires us to think about the future of society in a new way. The artwork SYNC not only shows the individual impact on the landscape but also how crucial our interaction is, making us feel our joint responsibility for a sustainable future. “Collaborations with designers and artists are a very valuable source of inspiration for me and my team,” explains Adrian van Hooydonk. “The creative exchange with Daan Roosegaarde and his approach encouraged us to research and experiment with new forms of interaction.”
SYNC by Daan Roosegaarde will be premiered at Art Basel 2019, June 13-16.