DRIFT's Shy Society Installation at Palazzo Strozzi, Florence

The Dutch artist duo DRIFT (Lonneke Gordijn and Ralph Nauta) has created 'Shy Society', an installation in the courtyard of Palazzo Strozzi in Florence, on view until January 26, 2025. The work features seven large flowers that slowly open and close, choreographed to a soundtrack by American rapper and producer RZA (Robert Fitzgerald Diggs). The movement is inspired by nyctinasty, a natural phenomenon where plants close at night and reopen at dawn to conserve resources. The installation is part of the Palazzo Strozzi Future Art program, developed by Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi and Fondazione Hillary Merkus Recordati. It explores the relationship between humans and nature, emphasizing adaptation and metamorphosis. DRIFT will open their own museum in Amsterdam in 2025.