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Stunning Light Show on Empire State Building is a Moving Tribute to Endangered Animals

Over the weekend, on Saturday night, the iconic Empire State Building in New York City was transformed into a moving tribute to endangered animals around the world. This spectacular light show, called Projecting Change: The Empire State Building, was organized by director Louie Psihoyos and producer Fisher Stevens of the Oscar-winning documentary The Cove, a film that explored dolphin hunting in Japan. The duo collaborated with Obscura Digital co-founder Travis Threlkel on the projection, which was illuminated from 9PM to 12AM and featured a looping reel of “Noah's ark” animals.

Endangered creatures both large and small were depicted on the 33-story structure, including a black rhino, a humpback whale, and a bald eagle. Cecil the lion, whose untimely death has recently made international news, was also included in the series. The projections serve as a companion to Psihoyos's upcoming documentary, called Racing Extinction, scheduled to air on the Discovery Channel in December.

Producing the awe-inspiring sight was no easy feat – 40 stacked, 20,000-lumen projectors were placed on the roof a building on West 31st street. Together, they turned the Empire State Building into a shining beacon of hope for these voiceless animals, acting as reminder of how little time some of these species have left. It's up to us to do our part and save them from extinction.

Above image credit: @discoverychannel

Image credit: Joel Sartore and Ron Robinson/Obscura Digital

Image credit: @tp2115

Image credit: @andrew_bass7

Image credit: @oceanicpreservationsociety

Image credit: @jess_609_nj

Image credit: @j_leigh71

Image credit: @wendynuale

Image credit: @samhorine

Image credit: @twistedlamb

Racing Extinction: Website | Instagram
via [The Dodo, The New York Times]

Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes is a Staff Editor at My Modern Met, Manager of My Modern Met Store, and co-host of the My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast. As an illustrator and writer living in Seattle, she chronicles illustration, embroidery, and beyond through her blog Brown Paper Bag and Instagram @brwnpaperbag. She wrote a book about embroidery artist Sarah K. Benning titled 'Embroidered Life' that was published by Chronicle Books in 2019. Sara is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art. She earned her BFA in Illustration in 2008 and MFA in Illustration Practice in 2013.
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