Drone

During the art and culture festival Wereld van de Witte de With in September 2005, artist Rob Sweere presented his impressive installation Drone. The work consisted of a monumental twelve-meter-long sound horn in which visitors were invited to lie down and produce a vocal tone. The vibration of their voice was amplified and resonated throughout their entire body, creating a physical and meditative experience in which the human voice itself became the central instrument.

Drone was spectacularly suspended from a massive crane at the Leuvehaven, near the Maritime Museum in Rotterdam. This striking placement made the work appear to float above the water, amplifying both its physical presence and its visual impact within the urban landscape. The location — surrounded by water, ships, and historic harbor structures — added an extra layer of meaning: as if the human voice itself was connecting to the maritime history and spirit of the city.

The project was produced and coordinated by Mothership, commissioned by September in Rotterdam (part of Rotterdam Festivals), and fit perfectly within the festival’s context, in which art temporarily transformed public space into a place of experience, interaction, and wonder.