THE VENETIAN RESORT LAS VEGAS PRESENTS SHY SOCIETY PALAZZO CREATED
BY STUDIO DRIFT, BLOOMING NOW
Above The Palazzo Lobby Emerges Shy Society Palazzo, a Kinetic, Suspended Art Installation
Designed with Hidden Properties of Nature and Technology
Link to Assets here
Las Vegas (Sept. 15, 2026) – The Venetian Resort Las Vegas, in partnership with internationally acclaimed experiential art duo Studio DRIFT, proudly introduce Shy Society Palazzo, a monumental, kinetic art installation on view now above The Palazzo lobby. Created exclusively for The Venetian Resort, the immersive work combines, for the first time two of DRIFT’s most celebrated creations, Shylight and Meadow, into a breathtaking suspended choreography that explores the rhythms, behaviors, and transformative qualities found throughout the natural world.
Inspired by one of nature’s most fundamental expressions, the continuous opening and closing of flowers, Shy Society Palazzo transforms one of the resort’s most iconic gathering spaces into a living canvas of movement, light, and wonder. The installation brings together illuminated floral sculptural elements that bloom, retreat, and respond in choreographed sequences, creating a mesmerizing experience that evolves throughout the day.
“We created this experience to welcome our guests into a world of wonder from the moment they arrive,” said Marcy Miles, chief marketing officer of The Venetian Resort Las Vegas. “The Venetian Resort exists at the intersection of art, architecture and hospitality and Shy Society Palazzo is a stunning expression of that vision. This installation transforms a shared space into a cultural experience, inviting guests from around the world to engage with art in an unexpected and deeply personal way. Through movement, light, and responsiveness, the work celebrates curiosity, transformation, and the connections that unite us.”
The installation consists of nine Shylight sculptures, which embody individual expression like a solitary flower or dancer, and eighteen Meadow sculptures, which reveal the emergent intelligence of a collective system. Together, they explore the delicate balance between individuality and connection. Drawing upon the phenomenon of nyctinasty, the natural process through which flowers open and close, the elements gracefully unfold and retract overhead. Throughout the day, the installation moves in a continuous, calming flow, but once every hour, the sculptures perform a fully choreographed sequence set to music. This performance is composed to resonate with the rhythms of the human body, our breath, our heartbeat, our nervous system, inviting visitors to become aware of the constant process of adaptation taking place within themselves.
Founded in Amsterdam in 2007 by artists Lonneke Gordijn and Ralph Nauta, DRIFT is internationally recognized for creating immersive installations, sculptures, and performances that explore the relationship between nature, technology, and humanity. Through their work, the studio reveals hidden patterns and systems found in the natural world, translating them into experiences that inspire wonder and contemplation.
“Nature is a system in which everything is connected,” said Ralph Nauta, co-founder of DRIFT. “By bringing Shylight and Meadow together, the individual becomes part of a larger collective movement. Shy Society Palazzo makes this connection visible, reminding us that we are not separate from nature, but part of it.”
The introduction of Shy Society Palazzo also reflects Las Vegas’ continued emergence as a global arts destination, where extraordinary works can be experienced not only in galleries and museums, but through the city’s resorts, public spaces, and architectural landmarks.
Heather Harmon, Executive Director of the Las Vegas Museum of Art, said, “This presentation by Studio DRIFT illustrates how the city’s resorts play an important role in bringing ambitious, world-class art directly to the public, creating opportunities for countless visitors to encounter creativity in unexpected places. As the Las Vegas Museum of Art works toward opening our permanent home, we celebrate the way art is woven into the fabric of this community, from iconic resort installations to future museum experiences, making Las Vegas an inspiring cultural destination for people from around the globe.”
As the newest addition to the expanding artistic landscape of The Venetian Resort Las Vegas, Shy Society Palazzo builds upon the resort’s commitment to creating memorable cultural experiences that surprise and inspire. Suspended dramatically above The Palazzo Lobby, the installation will transform the moment of arrival into a moment of discovery, reinforcing the resort’s position as a place where art, innovation, and hospitality converge.
###
MEDIA CONTACTS
For The Venetian Resort Las Vegas
Kirvin Doak Communications
For Studio DRIFT
Alex Tutuianu – Head of Marketing & Communications
About The Venetian Resort Las Vegas
The Venetian Resort Las Vegas features all-suite accommodations across The Venetian and The Palazzo. The iconic resort’s experience is marked by a commitment to sophisticated play and light-hearted luxury, with world-class restaurants from celebrated chefs including Cote by Simon Kim, Bazaar Meat by José Andrés, and Southern California favorite Gjelina; the rejuvenating Canyon Ranch spa + fitness; a five-acre pool and garden deck inspired by the Italian Riviera including TAO Beach Dayclub, a Balinese-inspired tropical oasis; two landmark casinos and a poker room; Voltaire, a destination nightlife venue that blurs the lines between and intimate club and is home to the Queen of burlesque, Dita Von Teese; concert and non-stop entertainment including master illusionist Shin Lim; TAO Nightclub, and unparalleled retail experiences at Grand Canal Shoppes.
A premier events and conference center, the resort is home to more than 2.25 million square feet of meeting, exposition, and convention space. The Venetian Resort’s brand-new loyalty program, Venetian Rewards, offers resort-wide earning and redemption for gaming play, including slots and tables, as well as experiential spend, such as dining, entertainment, hotel reservations, and more.
The Venetian Resort Las Vegas is the only place fans can get the full experience of Sphere at The Venetian with concert and hotel packages including preferred seating. Sphere is a next-generation venue that will redefine the future of live entertainment.
The Venetian® and other trademarks are used under license. The names and brands mentioned above are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
About Studio DRIFT
Dutch artists Lonneke Gordijn (1980) and Ralph Nauta (1978) founded Studio DRIFT in 2007. With a multidisciplinary team of 45, they work on experiential sculptures, installations and performances. DRIFT manifests the phenomena and hidden properties of nature with the use of technology to learn from the Earth’s underlying mechanisms, and to re-establish our connection to it.
DRIFT has realised numerous exhibitions and (public) projects around the world. Their work has been exhibited at Milwaukee Art Museum, Chiostro del Bramante, Palazzo Strozzi, Trapholt, LUMA Foundation, Central Park New York, Centre Pompidou, Art Basel, Victoria & Albert Museum amongst others. Their work can be found in the permanent collections of Los Angeles County Museum of Art, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, Victoria & Albert Museum, Centre Pompidou, and Hessisches Landesmuseum Darmstadt. DRIFT is represented by Carpenters Workshop Gallery and Creative Artists Agency (CAA).
DRIFT is currently working on bringing to life their own DRIFT Museum in Amsterdam, Netherlands by the end of 2026. Spanning 8,000 square metres, the museum will present a comprehensive collection of their past works alongside newly developed installations, bringing the full DRIFT vision to life.
