A public art installation honoring the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks was unveiled Wednesday night over New York Harbor, as 2,977 lights carried by small drones rose into the sky to replicate the Twin Towers at architectural scale. Each light represented one person who lost their life 25 years ago during the tragedy.
The visual installation, titled “2,977 Lights Over New York Harbor,” was created with input from 9/11 family members, survivors and first responders including creative director Addison Mehr, producer Sky Elements, designer Yan Paul Dubbelman and more.
Brenda Berkman, a former New York City fire officer who responded to the World Trade Center while off duty on Sept. 11, also took part in the project. In the months after the towers collapsed, Berkman participated in the rescue and recovery effort, searching through the wreckage for survivors and human remains.
“It was my great honor to try and find the remains of people,” Berkman said.
For Terry Strada, whose husband Tom was killed in the attacks, the display offered a deeply personal way to remember him.
“I think when I look up, I’m going to see one very bright light in all of it, and that is going to be Tom,” Strada said.
New York City has launched a public document portal documenting the city’s response to the attacks and their aftermath, which Berkman said could help survivors and first responders.
“People need to know that if they were there, they should check out to see if they’re eligible for the Victims Compensation Fund,” Berkman said. “Don’t wait till they get sick.”
The installation serves as both a memorial to those who died and a reminder of the people who continue to live with the consequences of the attacks.
For those who lost loved ones or responded to the attacks, the lights offered a way to remember the people behind the 2,977 lives lost.
