Drones will change how we ship goods! They’ll revolutionize search and rescue! We hear about these futures all the time. It’s less often that we’re asked to consider how autonomous flying machines might be used for more poetic ends. But, as with any technology, drones can be just as invigorating for art as they are for commerce. “Shadow” is the just the latest example.
It’s a collaboration between dance troupe Elevenplay and the stellar Japanese design crew Rhizomatiks, who began exploring the possibilities of drone-assisted performance early last year. In their first effort, the groups essentially used drones as flying props. It was novel, but not much more than that.
Here, the drones are put to more thoughtful use: They’re robotic spotlights. Continuously reconfiguring their position around a single, human dancer, the ensemble produces a mesmerizing play of shadow and light.
It’s more than a cool gimmick. Instead of having drones on stage just for the sake of having them, the clip shows how the machines can be used in subtler, more expressive ways. Being able to choreograph the three independently-moving light sources around a performer presumably lets you create all sorts of visual effects you simply couldn’t achieve otherwise. At first, the drones flicker their lights in sequence, projecting a stop motion movie in shadow on the wall behind. After that, they explore other configurations around the dancer: spotlighting her, hiding her, and revealing her again in silhouette.
Daito Manabe, the lead Rhizomatiks wizard, occasionally posts YouTube videos of these works in progress. A recent series hints at what we might expect to see next: a 24-drone troupe. They’re less flying spotlights and more like floating lightbulbs—super-sized fireflies whose movements can be programmed. I eagerly await their debut.
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