Studio Drift created the image of a red beating heart in the sky above Rotterdam as part of its Franchise Freedom drone performance dedicated to healthcare workers, which Dezeen streamed live for Virtual Design Festival.

The performance took place above Rotterdam on the 75th anniversary of Liberation Day, a public holiday marking the end of Nazi occupation in the Netherlands.

The location was kept secret in advance of the performance so that people did not flout social distancing regulations to watch it in person.

First unveiled in Miami in 2017, Franchise Freedom comprises 300 illuminated drones that have been programmed to mimic the behaviour of a murmuration of starlings in the sky.

This latest performance in Rotterdam, which was supported by arts organisation Mothership, featured similar swirling patterns of light in the sky as previous performances of the artwork.

But at the end of the 15-minute show, the flock of drones came together to form a bright red three-dimensional heart shape in the air, which pulsed with light, as if it was beating.

"We're flying Franchise Freedom for the healthcare workers and the people who are suffering from the virus," Studio Drift co-founder Ralph Nauta said. "Unfortunately, art cannot be the solution, but it can create comfort during desperate times."

"We have seen during our previous performances that when people see the artwork together, it unites them," added fellow Studio Drift co-founder Lonneke Gordijn. "They are all looking at the same thing, and feel a part of a collective experience."

Find out more on Dezeen: https://www.dezeen.com/?p=1501981