The work of Wellington designers will be displayed today on enormous digital screens to the crowds thronging New York's Times Square.

Listed telecommunications infrastructure company Chorus hired 12 digital billboards, including the Nasdaq, ABC, Fox and Sony and 24 digital screens, to display the New Zealand-inspired designs.

The artworks were selected from 131 entries in a nationwide competition, transmitted from New Zealand to New York to show how fibre optic cables can transport high-resolution digital work across the world.

In two half-hour slots the work of three winning New Zealand designers, including two Wellingtonians, and 10 finalists will take over the screens in one of the largest synchronised screenings to take place in the famous advertising spot of Times Square.

Fibre connections will live-stream the event to Massey Design Campus in Wellington, at Auckland's Event Cinemas and on chorusfibre.co.nz at 10am today.

Auckland designer Hayley Heartbreak was one of the winners. A former Wellington resident now based in Japan, Johnson Witehira, who specialises in Maori graphic design, was another of the three winners whose work will be showcased.

"It's amazing to have my work shown in Times Square," he said. "It's just nice seeing my work, as a Maori designer and artist getting worldwide exposure."

Elspeth Hoskin, a graduate from Wellington's Massey University design school, said the opportunity was exciting.

"I've never been to New York before so it's a really cool thing to do, and for exposure it's pretty amazing because I'm just out of uni and in my first job [at Auckland agency Goodfolk]. I like a lot of hand-drawn typography and the whole branding side of things."

Chorus external marketing manager Robin Kelly would not reveal the cost of hiring some of the world's most-sought-after ad space but said it was "quite reasonable".

"It's within our fibre marketing budget, which is line with the typical marketing budget you'd expect of a publicly listed company," she said.

Chorus is rolling out ultrafast broadband cables across New Zealand, in a project that will be complete by 2019.

"This day is really about the students and their artwork, but for our part, we're hoping to demonstrate how fibre connectivity can help New Zealand industries like the digital and graphic-design sector."

Artist Mike Mizrahi, who last year judged design at the Cannes Advertising Festival, was one of the judges and said he was overwhelmed by the quality of the 131 entries.

“This is a great opportunity for these artists to present their work in New York, and they will do themselves and New Zealand proud.”

The winners each received $5000 prizemoney and a trip to New York City to see the display.

- © Fairfax NZ News