• International artwork explores links between nature, technology and humanity at Saudi festival

ALULA: A swarm of drones will light up the skies over AlUla during a spectacular international artistic display as part of the Winter at Tantora festival.

The aerial presentation by Franchise Freedom, a performance arts initiative created by Studio Drift, explores the relationship between humanity, nature and technology.

Formed from an autonomously flying swarm of hundreds of drones, based on research into the flight behavior of starlings, the work aims to question the concept of freedom and social construct.

Underlining the harmony between humans and their surroundings, the artistic display, which runs until Feb. 28, uses the sky as its canvas to poetically illustrate how an individual can remain free, while operating within the safety of a community.

Through a variety of international events, the Winter at Tantora festival, organized by the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU), seeks to highlight culture and heritage.

Noura Al-Dabal, the RCU’s culture and arts manager, said: “Winter at Tantora strives to keep pace with the evolution of humanity and the mix between the arts and technical development that the world has seen today, while preserving the heritage of AlUla.

“Franchise Freedom is a living embodiment of this goal and we are proud to host this distinguished international artwork in AlUla.”

Over the course of 12 weeks, the festival will present a variety of activities merging Eastern and Western cultures, embodying AlUla’s heritage as a meeting point for different civilizations from around the world throughout history.

The festival takes place every weekend until March 7.