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Photos: Cecil The Lion & Endangered Animals Projected Onto Empire State Building
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Aug 2, 2015
Modified Aug 2, 2015
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Getty Images for The Oceanic Preservation Society
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By
Christopher Robbins
Published Aug 2, 2015
Modified Aug 2, 2015
Share
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For three hours last night, 40 light cannons projected images of endangered animals upon the Empire State Building in an effort to inspire admiration for nature's beauty and spur action to protect it from mankind.
The project, called Projecting Change, was conceived by Louie Psihoyos, the director of The Cove, who is releasing a film this fall called Racing Extinction.
According to the Times, the installation, brought to life by Travis Threlkel's design firm Obscura Digital, cost around $1 million to produce.
Setting aside a potential debate about whether functionally extinct animals are worthy of this kind of campaign, the projections were undeniably cool. From a roof in the Lower East Side, the moving animals and insects were somewhat blurry but wholly visible. A friend suggested that while the animals graced the Empire State Building, the mugshots of famous poachers and corporations with poor environmental records should be projected onto 1 WTC.
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empire state building
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
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