The IlluminatorArt Collective was conceived of during the Occupy Wall Street movement in New York City in 2011. Given an initial monetary grant by Ben Cohen, the group purchased and retrofit a cargo van to hold and maneuver a 12,000 lumen projector. Typically the van is used by the collective to aid existing political movements. The group has worked with large political organizations such as Green Peace but typically assists grass roots movements in and around New York City.
Activity
On November 17, 2012 The Illuminator projected the iconic 99% logo onto the Verizon building in Lower Manhattan as its first mission. It was meant to inspire protestors after they were evicted from Zuccoti Park and marched across the Brooklyn Bridge in clear view of the Verizon Building. The group also received notoriety for its projections on April 15, 2013 which consisted of messages of "solidarity" with the people of Boston after the Boston Marathon bombing. The projections were seen on the Brooklyn Academy of Music. In 2015, after an unsanctioned statue of Edward Snowden was taken down by the NYPD, the group put up a temporary "holographic" statue in its place.
Mission statement
The group's website claims that the goal of the project is "To smash the myths of the information industry and allow people to find out for themselves what the 99% movement is fighting for." On a March, 2014 WNYC segment, members voiced concerns over late capitalism including political corruption and environmental damage.
Legal troubles
At least three members of the project have been taken in for questioning by the NYPD on more than one occasion. On February 8, 2013, an Illuminator was arrested after projecting a ballot box stuffed with dollar bills onto Mayor Michael Bloomberg's apartment in Manhattan. Two members, Kyle Depew and Grayson Earle were also arrested and charged with Illegal Advertising on September 9, 2014 after projecting onto the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The museum had accepted a $60 million donation from billionaire David Koch, an avid climate change denier. During the dinner party for the event, the group projected "Koch = Climate Chaos" onto the museum. They were arrested and detained over night, though the charges were dropped soon after.
