In Plain Sight
Airplane Poetry

Airplane poetry over detention centers on the Fourth of July. Heroic ran the digital operation.

Overview

In July 2020, 80 artists launched In Plain Sight, a poetry flyover that used fleets of planes to write messages over cities across the country on Independence Day weekend. Led by artists Cassils and rafa esparza, the project drew attention to immigrants and children held in detention centers. Its members included lawyers, activists, and artists.

Heroic's Role

Heroic served as digital director. We built the website and the distinctive X logo, ran awareness campaigns across social and digital channels, built real-time tracking so people could follow the planes live, and defended the site against hackers during the event, a story Wired covered directly.

Coverage

The project was covered by the LA Times, New York Times, CNN, NPR, Wired, The Guardian, and The Intercept.

PRESS

Did you see, up in the sky? 80 artists sent a message over U.S. detention centers
Los Angeles Times
Protesting U.S. Immigration Policies, Artists Aim for the Sky
The New York Times
Powerful messages soared above ICE detention centers over Independence Day weekend
CNN
With Fleets Of Planes, Artists Take To Skies Nationwide To Protest Mass Detention
NPR
How Mysterious Protest Messages Have Filled the Skies
Wired
In Plain Sight skywriting project targets US culture of incarceration: 'We have a brief moment of clarity'
The Guardian
As Coronavirus Surges In Ice Detention, A Message in The Skies Says “Release”
The Intercept
Back