Narratively

Share this post

The Empire Lights Back

www.narratively.com

The Empire Lights Back

Using the world’s most iconic skyscraper as his canvas, a high-tech LED artist turns New York City’s nightscape into an eye-popping rave.

John Surico
Apr 24, 2014
∙ Paid
Share this post

The Empire Lights Back

www.narratively.com
Share
Photo courtesy Empire State Realty Trust

It’s Super Bowl Sunday in America, and the stakes are high. The Seattle Seahawks and the Denver Broncos take the field at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, as hundreds of millions of viewers tune in to watch from barstools and living room couches around the world. Marc Brickman is one of them. A few miles away from the game, across the Hudson, his eyes are glued to the television for something more than fandom, fun, or that appetizing office pool.

This is his time to shine. No, literally.

It happens fast: The ball breaks the plane of the end zone, the referee’s arms rise, and the announcer roars “Touchdown!” That’s Brickman’s signal. He quickly presses down on a button, and now almost every person within at least a twenty-mile radius of New York City on this comfortable February night will know the Seahawks scored a touchdown — because the Empire State Building is flashing blue and white.

Be it postcards, movies, commercials, or any other Big Apple ad…

Keep reading with a 7-day free trial

Subscribe to

Narratively
to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in
Previous
Next
© 2023 Narratively, Inc.
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start WritingGet the app
Substack is the home for great writing