In front of us, we have the nighttime view of the city. We see its image from above, as a night owl flying in the sky would see it. Framed by the wide horizon, the city resembles a giant creature, the whole of a complex organism made up of many smaller ones. Countless blood vessels extend to the edges of its invisible body, continuously replacing the cells: sending new information, collecting the old; new consumables collect the old; new contradictions collect the old. The entire body synchronizes with their pulse, flickers, emits heat, spins. It is almost midnight, and although activities are winding down, the basic metabolism that sustains life continues unabated, producing a bass continuo from the city's hum, a monotonous sound without fluctuations but full of premonitions.
And amidst all this, our gaze selects an area of concentrated brightness and, focusing there, calmly descends upon it. A sea of neon lights in all colors. An area dedicated to nightlife entertainment. The huge digital screens on the sides of the buildings lower the volume as midnight approaches, but the loudspeakers on the shop facades relentlessly continue to vibrate with hip-hop bass at full blast. We see a large electronic gaming center full of young kids. The electronic sound deafens you. Elsewhere, a crowd of students, probably returning from a potluck party. Teenage girls, with their hair dyed platinum and their bare thighs under mini skirts, bursting with health.
Further on, office workers run across the junction with multiple pedestrian crossings, trying to catch the last train. Although the hour is late, the promoters at the karaoke bars continue fishing for customers, shouting as if nothing is wrong. A flashy black station wagon passes slowly, as if cutting through traffic in the area. Black tinted windows, like a deep-sea creature with peculiar skin and organs. Two stressed young police officers patrol the street, almost unnoticed by anyone. At this hour, the area operates by its own rules. Late autumn. No wind, but the temperature has dropped. It is the moment when the date changes.