New DRIFT Museum Takes Shape in Historic Amsterdam Hall
“What we really want to give people is time and space,” says co-founder Lonneke Gordijn.
The Van Gendt Hallen in Amsterdam, a historic industrial facility where locomotives were previously manufactured, is currently undergoing a major renovation to become the future DRIFT Museum. A small group of attendees recently toured the site, which is in the early stages of construction, as part of a rare experience organized through VIP Cardholder Access from Capital One and The Cultivist.
Lonneke Gordijn, co-founder of the artist duo DRIFT, provided a walkthrough of the facility and explained the rationale behind the project. DRIFT is known for large-scale kinetic works, including drone performances and complex light installations. Gordijn stated that the studio identified a need for specialized infrastructure that traditional museums are often unable to accommodate. She explained that their work requires a specific dialogue with the space it occupies.
“Our work belongs in a context, and the dialogue between the context and the work is part of the experience of our audience,” Gordijn said. She described the museum as a hybrid between a gallery and a theater, designed to permanently house the technical equipment and mechanical support required to operate their light, air, and movement-based artworks. She noted that the decision to build was born out of necessity rather than ambition, adding, “It was not a dream to have a museum, it was needed as the next step in our creative process.”
Gordijn and co-founder Ralph Nauta established the studio after meeting at the Design Academy Eindhoven in the early 2000s. The studio has since grown into a global operation with a staff of 50. During the tour, it was noted that Nauta was absent, as he was in Los Angeles overseeing the studio’s presentation of Franchise Freedom for the opening of LACMA’s new David Geffen Galleries. When discussing how the duo maintains their creative partnership after 20 years, Gordijn explained that they share a consistent collaborative wavelength. “I have the feeling we share a radio frequency, and we are always in the same frequency,” she said. She added that while they sometimes approach problems from different angles, “We strive for the same goals, sometimes from complete different angles, but we never have to doubt each other.”
“We want to study togetherness, we want to study what it is that binds us.”
Regarding the role of technology in their practice, Gordijn addressed the studio’s approach to AI. She stated that while the studio may utilize AI as a tool for brainstorming, they do not use it to drive their creative vision. “We don’t really think that AI should make creative decisions,” she said. She emphasized that DRIFT prioritizes physical, tangible experiences over digital simulation, suggesting that as digital content becomes more prevalent, people will look for more authentic interactions. “At some point we will be overloaded with all sort of things that we start to crave realness and physical realness,” she noted.
The museum will not follow a traditional chronological exhibition format. Instead, Gordijn stated that the layout will focus on creating environments intended to influence visitor perception and engagement, with the goal of fostering human connection. “We want to study togetherness, we want to study what it is that binds us,” she said. She noted that her hope is to provide visitors with something often missing from their daily lives: “What we really want to give people is time and space.”
The DRIFT Museum is scheduled to open later this year, pending the final delivery and completion of the building. The project marks a significant expansion for the duo, shifting from temporary exhibitions to the establishment of a permanent institution where their work can actually breathe.
