Isabelita Virtual (the nom d’Insta of advertising creative director Isabel Martinez) works to communicate her vision of the world through simple but impactful images. Her Instagram posts transport her 680K+ followers to a beautiful, unexpected, and sometimes surreal universe of ideas and emotions in which concept, color, mystery, and femininity rule.

“I started to attract people’s attention by posting my work on social media through the small screen of a smartphone, so I am thrilled to have this opportunity to experiment with a large format and showcase my art on the biggest public platform in the world.”

- Isabelita Virtual

Midnight Sunrise brings a color gradient into motion, shifting slowly from a deep midnight blue through a spectrum inspired by the sky during sunrise. At three minutes to midnight, when the sky is dark but the screens are bright in Times Square, you can look up, breathe deeply and watch the darkness become the light. This digital work, a natural occurrence at an unnatural time, invokes a physical experience — a calm, contemplative moment in one of the most frenetic locations in the city that never sleeps. Simultaneously a visual poem and a minimalist ode to ephemeral experience, the video installation uses the power of color to raise questions about time and space.

“Midnight Sunrise is a globally inclusive concept: everything is connected. I considered this every single night as I was falling asleep in my NYC apartment. As my day was ending, a new day was beginning on the horizon in Barcelona, where I was born. This artwork is a reflection on humanity’s deep need of quiet, paradoxically providing a moment of inner peace in the center of Times Square.”

- Isabelita Virtual

Midnight Sunrise was chosen as the Midnight Moment for October 2018 through an open call by Times Square Arts in partnership with Advertising Week and The ADVERTISING Club of NY requesting proposals of original art by artists working in the advertising industry.

“Isabelita Virtual started her career on Instagram and built an enormous online following — an international audience who individually view her work on their handheld electronic devices. Now her artwork will reach a live audience that rivals her online following, on the spectacular electronic billboards in one of the world’s most Instagrammed places.”

- Andrew Dinwiddie, Acting Director, Times Square Arts

“Advertising Week is thrilled to focus the brilliant lights of Times Square on the broader creative community and, in particular, Isabelita Virtual’s Midnight Sunrise, which is both calming and inspiring. Creative works like this evoke a much needed fresh start and sense of peace during these chaotic and divisive times.”

- Matt Scheckner, Global CEO, Advertising Week

“The ANDYs are continually looking for ways to spotlight creative and the people behind it beyond the typical award-show stage. This initiative is a fantastic opportunity for Isabelita Virtual and her work to be recognized and seen by the masses that visit Times Square daily. Isabelita Virtual’s work is a beautiful reminder to take a moment of peace and quiet that can be lost in the hustle of a city like NYC.”

- Gina Grillo, President & CEO, The ADVERTISING Club of NY