Winter Series: Meadow
A site-specific installation created by Dutch artist duo Drift provides a contemplative space for awe and wonder beneath the soaring wings of the Burke Brise Soleil.
Windhover Hall of the Milwaukee Art Museum comes to life with Meadow, the second iteration of the seasonal Winter Series. The installation by Drift open to the public during 18 January 18 – 13 April 2025, complements the organic architecture of the Quadracci Pavilion with luminous, dynamic blooms.
Described by Drift as an “upside-down landscape,” Meadow is an installation of choreographed kinetic flowers crafted with aluminium, stainless steel, robotic components, and vibrant fabric shades. The result of years of research conducted by the artist duo, Meadow mimics the deceptively simple workings of nature. The installation “blooms” – opening and closing to a gentle choreography using software researched and developed by Drift that creates an ever-changing display. The presentation is site-specific to the Milwaukee Art Museum in its number of flowers, choreography, and colours, which are inspired by North American wildflowers.
“Drift has long worked at the intersection of nature and technology, and I’m excited to present to our visitors their work within the context of the Quadracci Pavilion, a biophilic space designed by architect Santiago Calatrava,” says the exhibition’s curator Shoshana Resnikoff, Demmer Curator of 20th- and 21st-Century Design. According to the architect, The Quadracci Pavilion’s design “responds to the culture of the lake: the sailboats, the weather, the sense of motion and change.” Movement and interrelatedness among things play an important role in Calatrava’s work, and this sentiment is also echoed in Drift’s Meadow installation.
“We are honoured that we have the opportunity to immerse our artwork Meadow in the awesome space that is the Calatrava building of the Milwaukee Art Museum,” says Lonneke Gordijn and Ralph Nauta of Drift. “As longtime fans, it was a dream to design this artwork specifically to fit Windhover Hall. We worked with the perspective to draw the eye into the height of the open atrium to make visitors wander through the space vertically.”
“The first Winter Series presentation was a remarkable success, and I’m delighted to continue the series with an installation that transforms this iconic space into a garden-like setting for everyone who enters the Museum,” adds Elizabeth Siegel, Chief of Curatorial Affairs at the Milwaukee Art Museum. “Meadow will leave visitors wonderstruck.”
