January 1 - 31, 2016, every night from 11:57 p.m.–midnight
(New York, N.Y.) December 22, 2015—Laurie Anderson adapts her feature film, Heart of a Dog, which has been short-listed for an Academy Award, for Times Square. This unique edition of the film will be shown on Times Square’s electronic billboards from 11:57 pm to midnight from January 1 to 31st. This project is a part of Midnight Moment, a monthly presentation by The Times Square Advertising Coalition (TSAC) and Times Square Arts.
On January 4, Anderson will be on site for a special live performance, joining NYPD canine handlers and their dogs for a gathering that will begin at 11:30 pm on Duffy Square (between 46th and 47th Streets) and culminate in the 11:57 viewing of the work. The event will be free and open to the public. Headphones will be distributed between 11:00 and 11:15 pm (first-come, first-served) and the public is encouraged to bring their own dogs.
Heart of a Dog is a collection of stories about dogs, time, family, love, memory and death. In the middle of the film there is a sequence from “The Tibetan Book of the Dead” that describes the transition of energy and consciousness at the time of death. In this portion of the film, which is the section that will be shown in Times Square, Anderson creates a visual song, filled with a wild collage of images. The video changes point of view frequently, shifting from a dog’s eye view to the lens of a surveillance camera to free floating pictures that move through your mind in dreams and memories.
Artist Laurie Anderson said, “I love Times Square. It’s a dream. Desire, speed, the explosions of color, patterns and energy. What a great way to start the New Year! The ball drops and “Heart of a Dog” leaps onto all those massive screens at three minutes to midnight. Who could have predicted the unraveling dreams of my dog would be magnified up there like this? And sound too!”
Tim Tompkins, President of the Times Square Alliance, said, “Laurie’s film brings our collected memories into the New Year through a layered and dense moving photo album of our minds.”
Sherry Dobbin, Times Square Arts Director, said, “Laurie crafts journeys - alternative narratives, ones that seduce us into a sharing of mutual discovery. This Midnight Moment transposes her legendary cadence through a diverse visual language, one with which we can identify past and present as well objective and sentimental observance.”
Fred Rosenberg, President of the Times Square Advertising Coalition, said, ““Heart of a Dog” gives TSAC such a wonderful opportunity to use our signs to celebrate a New York heroine of the cultural scene.”
The following digital screens are participating in the December Midnight Moment:
ABC SuperSign, American Eagle Times Square, Bank of America, Branded Cities 7 Times Square, Branded Cities NASDAQ Tower Times Square, Branded Cities Thomson Reuters, Outfront Media 1515 Broadway/ Viacom North & South, CEMUSA, City Outdoor, Clear Channel Spectacolor HD127/CNN, Clear Channel Spectacolor HD128, Morgan Stanley Lights on Broadway, Sherwood Equities 1 Times Square, Superior Digital Displays Three Times Square #5, Superior Digital Displays Triple Play
About Midnight Moment
Midnight Moment is the largest coordinated effort in history by the sign operators in Times Square to display synchronized, cutting-edge creative content on electronic billboards and newspaper kiosks throughout Times Square every night. The program premiered in May 2012 and is organized and supported by the Times Square Advertising Coalition in partnership with Times Square Arts, the public art program of the Times Square Alliance, with additional partners of participating sign holders and artists.
Each night, Times Square becomes a digital art gallery through dazzling visuals on select billboards and newsstands. Every show begins at 11:57 p.m. with a “countdown” that signals the start of the three minute nightly presentation. Past artists featured in the program include Antony Nagelmann; Jesper Just; Shahzia Sikander; Rashaad Newsome; OSGEMEOS; Eric Dyer; Richard Garet; Andy Warhol; Peggy Ahwesh; Marco Brambilla; Rafaël Rozendaal; Sebastian Errazuriz; Charles Atlas and Antony; Noah Hutton; Ryoji Ikeda; Daniel Canogar; Alfredo Jaar; Isaac Julien; Robert Wilson; Tracey Emin; Seoungho Cho; Vicki DaSilva, Surabhi Saraf, and Elly Cho; Erika Janunger; Takeshi Murata; Bel Borba with Burt Sun and André Costantini; Zach Nader; Brian Gonzalez (aka Taxiplasm); Björk; JR; Ryan McGinley; Jack Goldstein; Nature Theater of Oklahoma; Ezra Wube; Laleh Khorramian; Brian Dailey; Leslie Thornton; and Yoko Ono. For more information on past projects, please visit: http://www.timessquarenyc.org/timessquarearts/projects/midnight-moment/index.aspx
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Times Square Advertising Coalition (TSAC) is a trade association comprised of major advertisers, retailers, real estate firms, media companies and other businesses involved in the outdoor sign industry in Times Square, along with organizations representing Broadway and the community. Members of TSAC include: ABC Regional Sports & Entertainment Sales, Clear Channel Spectacolor, Daktronics, D3 LED, Digital Domination, Hines Management, Jamestown One Times Square, Lamar Advertising Company, Landmark Sign & Electric, Metro Media Technologies, Newmark Knight Frank, North Shore Neon, P.R.omotion!, Sherwood Outdoor, SL Green, Times Square Alliance, The WOW Factor and Thomson Reuters. www.timessquareadcoalition.org. Follow TSAC on twitter at @TSACNYC.
Times Square Arts, the public art program of the Times Square Alliance, collaborates with contemporary artists and cultural institutions to experiment and engage with one of the world’s most iconic urban places. Through the Square’s electronic billboards, public plazas, vacant areas and popular venues, and the Alliance’s own online landscape, Times Square Arts invites leading contemporary creators to help the public see Times Square in new ways. Times Square has always been a place of risk, innovation and creativity, and the Arts Program ensures these qualities remain central to the district’s unique identity. Generous support of Times Square Arts is provided by the New York State Council on the Arts, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Visit http://www.timessquarenyc.org/times-square-arts/index.aspx for more information. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @TSqArts.
Laurie Anderson is one of America’s most renowned - and daring - creative pioneers. She is best known for her multimedia presentations and innovative use of technology. As writer, director, visual artist and vocalist, she has created groundbreaking works that span the worlds of art, theater, and experimental music. Visit www.laurieanderson.com for more information.
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Media Contacts:
For Times Square Arts:
TJ Witham
212.452.5234 | TJWitham@TimesSquareNYC.org
Marisa Wayne
212.843.9216 | MWayne@Rubenstein.com
For TSAC:
Justine DiGiglio
212.205.6632 │ Justine@NicholasLence.com