Studio Roosegaarde and BMWi, the SYNC interactive landscape premiering at Art Basel 2019

SYNC - created with BMWi - is part of Daan Roosegaarde’s larger opus of interactive landscapes and will have its premiere at Art Basel 2019. Daan Roosegaarde is an artist and innovator from the Netherlands known for his innovative designs for public spaces which bring together social design, art and (bio-)technology.


The artwork called SYNC by Daan Roosegaarde with BMWi shows the beauty of connectivity in a world where interaction and the sense of belonging to a place are becoming increasingly difficult. The project is the output of a collaboration between the Dutch artist and innovator Daan Roosegaarde and Adrian van Hooydonk (Senior Vice President BMW Group Design) in response to considerations about the urban transport of the future with driverless vehicles. Because these 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 essential for human interaction in today’s societies. Roosegaarde’s installation addresses this theme with new creativity and imagination. He looked back at his childhood when he used to always play outside, observing nature and creating his own personal spaces, like tree-houses - his way of personalising and owning the world around him. 
He then drew on those experiences to create the SYNC immersive art installation with BMWi. The artwork is a landscape of light where visitors can create their own favourite space, connect with others and visualise their “sense of place”. Blue contouring lines appear as visitors step onto the flexible membrane of the artwork with lasers scanning underneath it. The presence of people physically pushes the membrane down onto the floor to reveal these bands of light. Wherever you walk, a band of blue light marks your presence, following the behaviour - in this case, movement - of whoever has taken the plunge to enjoy this experience. 
The more people there are, the more shared spaces of light are created, setting up new interactive connections between the visitors. Daan Roosegaarde has crafted a high-tech artwork that is very intuitive and engaging at the same time. A special music soundscape created by the Berlin-based studio “Tale of Us” accompanies the artwork. 
Adrian van Hooydonk from BMWi explains the importance of the carmaker’s collaboration with an artist like Daan Roosegaarde: “Collaborations with designers and artists are a very valuable source of inspiration for me and my team.  The creative exchange with Daan Roosegaarde and his approach encouraged us to research and experiment with new forms of interaction.” 
Because art is a driver of change, it inspires us to think about the future in a different way and it is also important for the world of high-tech. The SYNC artwork demonstrates the impact of the individual on the landscape and at the same time showcases just how pivotal our interaction is, helping us realise that we share the responsibility for a sustainable future.
SYNC is being premiered during Art Basel 2019, from 13 to 16 June.

Christiane Bürklein

Project: Studio Roosegaarde & BMWi
Location: Basel, Switzerland
Year: 2019
Images: courtesy of Studio Roosegaarde & BMWi