The Invisible City

The work shown, projected on the facade of the Effenaar, is inspired by the influential film “Metropolis” by Fritz Lang from 1927. The film portrays a futuristic city that functions as an enormous factory. Just as the industrial revolution brought about profound changes around the turn of the previous century, computer and information technology are now doing the same. Najjar believes that eventually, they will determine the form and functioning of our urban environment.

In “The Invisible City,” photos taken from the tallest buildings in world cities like New York, Dubai, Shanghai, and Paris slowly blend into one another. The recordings merge into new structures, showing how great cities could develop in the future. The resulting images lie somewhere between utopia and dystopia.