All the Light You See

By Alicia Eggert This flashing neon sign cycles through the statements "all the light you see is from the past" and "all you see is past" before turning off completely. It speaks to the fact that light takes time to travel, so by the time it reaches your eyes, everything you are seeing is technically already in the past. Light from the moon left its surface 1.5 seconds ago; sunlight travels for 8 minutes and 19 seconds before it touches your skin. The farther out into space we look, the farther back in time we can see. This sign, perched atop a building that will soon be demolished, is an image of what was. What will be remains to be seen. Curated and photographed by Ryan Strand Greenberg. Supported by Mural Arts Philadelphia, MM Partners, Fairmount CDC, and Gazelle Signs. Special thanks to Basmah Sorathia, Jacob Raeder, Layla Mrozowski, James Bonney, Frank Ramano, Rachel and John Easlea, Evan Inatome, and Joseph Amsel.