“Morning Again” Transforms Times Square Into a Pulse of Light

Replacing advertisements with coordinated abstract imagery, Matsuyama’s large-scale intervention reclaims the iconic screens for art, if only for a fleeting three-minute moment.

Image: Courtesy of the artist

Beginning April 1, 2026, for a duration of one month, Brooklyn-based artist Tomokazu Matsuyama will dominate New York's Times Square with his latest digital public art initiative, "Morning Again." Matsuyama's work will be showcased as part of the esteemed Midnight Moment program, the city's most extensive and enduring digital art series, synchronising across over 96 big LED screens from 41st to 49th Streets. Each night for three minutes – from 11:57 p.m. to midnight – standard commercial advertisements will disappear, supplanted by a 180-second cinematic presentation that intertwines the city's rhythm with Matsuyama's dynamic, multicultural aesthetic. Originating from Gifu, Japan, and refined through decades in the cultural amalgamation of New York, Tomokazu Matsuyama is renowned for his capacity to connect many realms. His work frequently amalgamates Edo-period imagery and traditional Japanese craftsmanship with Western Pop art, street culture, and Abstract Expressionism.

Image: Courtesy of the artist

“Morning Again” underscores four fundamental elements: hope, rhythm, self-expression, and transformation, rather than illustrating particular figures. These abstract motifs manifest as dynamic forms, radiant illumination, and vivid colours that reflect the city's rhythm. The work emphasises the intersection and overlap of multiple cultural impulses, resulting in a collective metropolitan identity. In an era characterised by uncertainty and division, Matsuyama’s work subtly endorses diversity and individuality while proposing the potential for collective progress. Consistent with Matsuyama's distinctive approach, the work deliberately eschews a rigid hierarchy of imagery, permitting histories and varied identities to coexist within a singular frame. This method illustrates his continuous investigation of "borderless identity" and the intersection of narratives in a progressively interconnected global society.