Bright Nights — with Burak Arikan, Motomichi Nakamura, Marius Watz, Lee Wells — is a curated program of digital artwork that celebrates the projected image, draws attention to the iconic architecture of the Manhattan Bridge, and electrifies the arts friendly DUMBO neighborhood. The program will be projected onto the Anchorage (Adams St & Front St. Brooklyn, NY), to coincide with the 100th birthday of the bridge and the 10th annual Walk21 conference in October 2009.

Four internationally renowned Brooklyn-based artists created new works that interpret the unique physical, spatial, and historical components of the bridge. The artists were chosen for their ability to energize a public space, in celebration of the major thoroughfare’s 100th birthday.

Motomichi Nakamura, “Steel Monster” from Random Number on Vimeo.

The Artists

BURAK ARIKAN investigates the role of the Manhattan Bridge in connecting fiction to reality. Arikan creates geometric camera tracking patterns to look at a Google Earth 3D model of the Manhattan Bridge via shifting viewpoints. Turning over, going through, and swirling around the photorealistic model, the viewer will gain a new appreciation of the iconic structure. Arikan’s experimental camera work evokes the fictionalization of the bridge through its many appearances in blockbuster films such as “Once Upon a Time in America” and “Independence Day”.

MOTOMICHI NAKAMURA brings the Manhattan Bridge to life with a Flash-animated piece that yields maximum impact. Using his characteristic palette of black, white, and red Nakamura animates the physical details of the bridge to emphasize its graphic qualities.

MARIUS WATZ’ real-time software piece is based on the shapes, forms, and negative spaces that comprise the structure of a bridge. His bold color palette and endlessly changing geometric compositions reflect the festive mood of the Centennial celebration and emphasize the architectural elements of the bridge.

LEE WELLS uses a distinctive pictorial language and exploration of form to provide a portrait of the Manhattan Bridge. Filming the bridge at different times throughout the day and employing a variety of post production techniques, Wells will evoke an emotional response by highlighting the components of the bridge.