This week, starting on Sept. 23, FORMAT (For music, art and technology) Festival, will be taking place for the first-time ever in Bentonville. Upon the planning and excitement for the first music festival of its kind in the state, the festival has announced additional lineups and activations. 

 

New additions to the on-site programming include a performative art installation and drone show by Studio DRIFT, which will take place during Phoenix’s set; a 360 degree artspace by Darren Romanelli; and a NFT show in the Solana House. 

 

Artistic directors and co-curators Mafalda Millies and Roya Sachs, curated these additions alongside Elizabeth Edelman, a producer of TRIADIC. FORMAT Festival is produced by C3 Presents, and the event will feature integrated performances, installations and art experiences. A plethora of creators and musicians have curated several different experiences for guests at FORMAT. 

 

FORMAT

Left: Studio DRIFT Franchise Freedom, 2017, Rotterdam. Right: Studio DRIFT Franchise Freedom, 2019, NASA. (Photo courtesy of C3 Presents)

 

 

Studio DRIFT will be presenting Franchise Freedom, which is a performative art installation exploring the relationship between man, nature and technology on Sept. 23 from 9 p.m. – 10:15 p.m. North of OZ. Featuring an autonomously flying swarm of hundreds of drones, Franchise Freedom is based on a biological algorithm from over ten years of research. This installation is choreographed by Lonneke Gordijn and Ralph Nauta, who are the founders of DRIFT. Franchise Freedom is well-traveled, and has been presented at Art Basel Miami, Burning Man Festival and a tribute to the 5oth anniversary of the moon landing at NASA grounds. 

 

Darren Romanelli’s Dome is an immersive 360-degree artspace, called the DomeRx. According to the news release this draws upon Romanelli’s nostalgia for the classic laserium music and laser light shows. This exclusive new series features his iconic chair designs for the space, including double-seater bean bags and sustainably created ottomans. Jessica Hundley, the creator, author and editor responsible for the Taschen Book’s multi-volume encyclopedia series: The library of Esoterica, will join Romanelli in creating a three day experience that celebrates the symbiotic relationship man has with nature. This will include a specially-curated 260 mixtape edit of Good Trip: Adventures in Psychedelics, which is a Netflix documentary. Programming for this will also include festival music performances with artistic overlay, plant poetry meditations, plant music listening parties, the release of the fourth volume of the Taschen encyclopedia series, Plant Magick and DOMEGROWN zine. 

 

Moses Sumney will perform a complimentary, additional improvised performance on Friday titled Moses Sumney: Faux Mo. This is in addition to his Saturday night performance on the North of Oz stage. Showcasing his music utilizing sound object positioning tools, he will collaborate with d&b Soundscape. 

The Solana House will feature the future of art and technology in one place. This will include free snacks with crypto-powered digital vouchers, the NFT exhibit by Nancy Baker Cahill and an NFT auction. According to FORMAT Festival, Solana is the fastest blockchain in the world with the fastest growing ecosystem in crypto. 

For more information about the FORMAT Festival, visit its website.

 

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