USA · updated 1h ago · 2 min read
2,977 Drones Recreate Twin Towers Over New York Harbor for 9/11 Commemorations
2,977 drones lit the sky over New York Harbor to honor victims of 9/11. The display formed the outline of the Twin Towers at full architectural scale.
21 outlets, one story, no spin found.
2 of 3 outlets skipped it: the helix was said to recall the THINK team's unbuilt World Cultural Center..
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Drones Recreate Twin Towers
A drone show lit up the skies over Lower Manhattan Wednesday night as part of 9/11 commemorations, bringing 2,977 lights over New York Harbor and the 9/11 memorial, one light for each person killed in the attacks.
“The display brought 2,977 lights over New York Harbor and the 9/11 memorial”
The display recreated the outline of the Twin Towers at full height, with the drones first swirling in a helix before revealing their final shape.
Organizers said it was designed in dialogue with the annual Tribute in Light, which projects beams of light skyward in remembrance of 9/11.
CBS News reported the project was a collaboration between artists, producers, 9/11 families, survivors and first responders, and it was sponsored by the New York Foundation of the Arts.
Executive producer and creative director Addison Mehr said, "The purpose of 2,977 Lights is to acknowledge individual loss within the collective history and memory of September 11th."
Voices Behind the Tribute
FDNY responder and artist Brenda Berkman described the tribute as a way to reach people without personal memory, saying, "Twenty-five years after 9/11, 100 million Americans have no memory of their own of that day."
In the same CBS News account, Berkman said, "I hope this new tribute will help bring insight into 9/11 to that new generation," as the drone display unfolded over New York Harbor.
The project’s framing also emphasized collaboration with the 9/11 community, with ABC7 New York saying the installation was developed in collaboration with members of the 9/11 community, including family members, survivors and first responders.
ABC7 New York added that the artwork was unveiled ahead of Friday's anniversary observance and presented as a free public event focused on reflection and unity.
Kursiv Media reported that the installation appeared over Lower Manhattan on Sept. 9, near the "Tribute in Light" art installation.
What the Tribute Remembers
The drone show, titled "2,977 Lights Over New York Harbor," used 2,977 illuminated drones, with each light representing one of the people killed in the 2001 attacks, according to the reporting on the display.
“drones recreated the Twin Towers in the sky over New York Harbor”
Kursiv Media said the drones recreated the outline of the Twin Towers, which stood in New York City until 2001, and it placed the event on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the attack on New York’s World Trade Center on Sept. 11.
The same Kursiv Media account provided the broader attack context, saying that on Sept. 11, 2001, terrorists hijacked four passenger planes and two crashed into the World Trade Center towers in New York City.
It also described the fourth plane as crashing in Pennsylvania after passengers and crew attempted to overpower the hijackers, while noting that to date it remains the deadliest terrorist attack in U.S. history in terms of death toll.
Organizers said the work was designed in dialogue with the annual Tribute in Light, and the Kursiv Media report said the beams were sent from the former World Trade Center site.