Things move fast in New York City—including its grandest, freest art show.
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You have three minutes to catch it in the heart of the city: Times Square.
You might have even stumbled upon this free show if you were passing through the zone at the stroke of midnight.
I’m talking about the Times Square Arts Midnight Moment, the world’s longest-running digital public art program. It’s been active since 2012 and, despite this, I didn’t know about it for the years that I lived in Brooklyn. (Don’t judge me; I avoided Midtown at all costs.)
Ready to learn about the three-minute nightly show that takes over Times Square? It’s easily one of the coolest things to do in the city, whether or not you like art or Times Square. Plus, it’s free.
Inside Midnight Moment
As mentioned above, Midnight Moment kicked off back in 2012. The idea was simple: Transform the dozens of digital displays around Times Square into a moving canvas for digital artists. Each month, different creators from around the globe are chosen by a specialized Midnight Moment panel.
Starting at 11:57pm each night, the 92 massive screens penning in Times Square from 41st street to 49th street shut down momentarily. Then, they light back up to showcase a massive digital arts display. The scale is hard to describe unless you’ve actually stood in Times Square before. I’d describe it as being in a cradle of neon madness.
The good news: it’s free, and the program is so successful. The bad news: you only have three minutes to catch the show. It shuts down at midnight, when regular advertisements reclaim the screens.
If you’re interested in learning more, check out the Midnight Moment page. Scroll down and you can check out recent shows. You can also submit a proposal if you’re a digital artist who wants to have your work featured on the world’s largest screen(s). There is a voice that doesn’t use words, Listen by Eeman Masood looks like a colorful menagerie.
