When projected as Warhol specified—at 16 frames per second—Empire runs just over eight hours. After Andy Warhol pulled his films from circulation in 1972, Empire existed in collective memory as something between a rumor and a punchline. But seeing it reveals unexpected pleasures, including the dance of the film grain, the light atop the MetLife building, reflections of Warhol and the crew in the glass, and the thrill of an airplane passing across the sky. When you watch Empire, you feel a little bit like you could see anything.

Submitted by Giampaolo Bianconi, Curatorial Assistant, Department of Media and Performance Art