SACO, the visual technology force behind The Sphere in Las Vegas, has announced a creative partnership with world-renowned contemporary artist Brendan Murphy, known for his BOONJI Spaceman and monumental sculptural works.
This forward-thinking collaboration merges SACO’s cutting-edge LED video lighting technology with Murphy’s artistic vision to explore new forms of physical-digital storytelling.
The partnership kicks off at SACO’s global headquarters in Montreal, where Murphy’s iconic BOONJI Spaceman – A Step Forward – is temporarily on-site, serving as an active symbol and creative spark for this new phase of artistic-tech integration.
More than a sculpture, the Spaceman has emerged as a mascot for the partnership: a shared symbol of innovation, curiosity, and momentum.
“This collaboration is rooted in the belief that technology should deepen – not distract from – artistic meaning,” said Jonathan Labbee, Co-CEO of SACO.
“Brendan’s work inspires the very vision we live by. He brings an extraordinary ability to turn emotion into physical form. At SACO, we want to elevate those forms with light, with motion, with soul. That’s where this begins.”
Murphy, whose sculptures often feature high-polish chrome finishes to suggest inner illumination, sees the partnership as a literal realization of that metaphor.
His towering Boonji Spacemen have become iconic fixtures in cities around the world—from New York and Washington D.C., to Oslo, Riyadh, Antigua, and most recently, Perth, Australia.
With SACO, Murphy is taking this vision to the next level. Murphy’s work has captivated collectors including: Serena Williams, Novak Djokovic, Steph Curry, Robert De Niro, Warren Buffett and more.
“For years, chrome was how I represented light in my work – an imagined glow,” said Brendan Murphy.
“With SACO, we’re now making that light real. The technology isn’t just enhancing the sculpture’s surface—it’s becoming part of its meaning. Jonathan and I have always shared a creative spirit, and this collaboration is an exciting new chapter.”
SACO, best known for lighting up The Sphere, the Guitar Hotel in Florida, and the towering LED façade of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, has long worked at the intersection of technology and creativity.
In fact, collaboration with artists is part of the company’s origin story.
This new chapter with Murphy honors that legacy while charting bold new territory: using LED video technology not only to amplify structures, but to animate emotion and narrative.
Together, SACO and Murphy are exploring ways to bring the conceptual world of BOONJI to life, using light to express ideas embedded in the sculptures – curiosity, resilience, and a refusal to stand still.
From storytelling through surfaces to sculptural lighting systems, the partnership will rethink how audiences interact with contemporary art in built environments.
Their first collaborative piece is slated to be completed and revealed to the public this October.
