Van Gogh Artworks Get ‘Painted’ Across The Night Sky In Animation By 600 Drones

By Alexa Heah, 16 Apr 2021

Images via EFYI Group

Vincent van Gogh’s The Starry Night is undoubtedly still one of the most famous paintings in the world. Recently, it has been “painted” in the night sky as hundreds of drones took flight to animate one of art’s most recognizable works.

Drone manufacturer EFYI Group teamed up with Tianjin University in China to recreate some of Van Gogh’s most famed paintings in an animated light show, A Tribute to Van Gogh. A total of 600 drones were deployed into the night sky, successfully setting a Guinness World Record for the longest animation performed by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

The entire animation lasted a whopping 26 minutes and 19 seconds, all of which required high-precision positioning technology to synchronize the drones. All of them were Agile Bee II drones, which can travel at an estimated 20 miles per hour. To fulfill the challenge, the display had to generate 12 images per second to qualify as an animation.

“Making a full-length animation is a difficult challenge for the whole team, both technically and creatively,” COO of EFYI Group Zhang Siqi told the Guinness World Records.

Image via EFYI Group

The dazzling display shone a light on Van Gogh’s most beloved paintings, highlighting his legacy as an artist. According to My Modern Met, it paid homage to The Starry Night, Wheat Field with Cypresses, his Sunflowers series, and The Mulberry Tree in Autumn. It also featured vignettes of the artist’s work, including Almond Blossoms, Bedroom in Arles, and Self-portrait.

It seems drone shows are only going to get more commonplace in the near future. Previously, luxury automotive brand Genesis had also lit up the sky in Shanghai with the most unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the air at the same time with a staggering 3,281 drones taking part.

Watch the mesmerizing display below.