The Twin Towers appeared over New York Harbor once again, but this time they were made of thousands of lights. On September 9, a fleet of 2,977 drones recreated the towers in the night sky, with each light representing one person who died in the September 11, 2001 attacks. The display was held ahead of the 25th anniversary of 9/11.
A Twin Tower Tribute In The Sky
The drones first rose into the sky in a spiral formation before gradually coming together to recreate the outline of the Twin Towers at their original scale.
The drone display was held alongside New York's annual Tribute in Light. Music by Philip Glass, John Adams and Max Richter played during the presentation, including Adams' On the Transmigration of Souls, which was written in response to the attacks.
The artwork, called “2,977 Lights Over New York Harbor,” was led by creative director and executive producer Addison Mehr in collaboration with Sky Elements.
The New York Foundation for the Arts sponsored the project, which was shaped with input from 9/11 families, survivors and first responders, including retired FDNY (Fire Department of the City of New York) firefighter and 9/11 survivor Tim Brown and Terry Strada.
The event was funded through private donations and in-kind support, including major backing from the Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund and 9/11 family members.
Sky Elements, which holds at least 17 Guinness World Records for drone shows, used 2,977 drones for this tribute, with each one representing a life lost on 9/11. For Tim Brown, the display was deeply personal, as three of the 2,977 lights represented firefighters he lost in the 9/11 attacks.
The spiral formation was inspired from the THINK team's World Cultural Center plan, which proposed two large open structures at the original World Trade Center site but was never built.
The tribute took place as New York continued to strengthen its drone security measures. IDEKO handled the federal and city permits as well as the safety and security arrangements.
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