Lights Out For Vivid Sydney 2018
An incredible 23 days and nights of light, music and ideas
The curtain has come down on Vivid Sydney 2018, the world's largest festival of light, music and ideas and now the largest event in Australia. The lights went out at 11pm Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST) on Saturday 16th June across Vivid Sydney's nine precincts which have shone with colour and creativity for three weeks.
Destination NSW CEO and Vivid Sydney Executive Producer Sandra Chipchase said, "Vivid Sydney has once again inspired and entertained locals and visitors alike, showcasing the world's best creativity, innovation and technology across our Harbour City. I'd like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has visited Vivid Sydney from all around the world this year."
Metamathemagical on the iconic
Sydney Opera House sails has topped the list for the most Instagrammed Vivid Sydney 2018 installation with its incredible digital light sculpture inspired by recognisable Australian motifs across science, nature and culture. Crowd pleaser 1000 Cranes in The Rocks shared a message of spreading "hope" and was a hit with festival goers as the second most Instagrammed Vivid Sydney Light feature. The installation invited visitors to walk under a magical canopy of origami cranes as they lit up in a range of photogenic colours. Visitors didn't miss the unique opportunity to capture Australian favourites Snugglepot and Cuddlepie reliving their adventures on the facade of Customs House, with the projection the third most Instagrammed of the festival.
"When I first saw the six-metretall 'Great Woman', Marri Dyin at Barangaroo, I just thought, 'wow'. Seeing this giant glowing spirit walk towards me, towering above everything - I was awestruck," Ignatius Jones, Vivid Sydney Creative Director - The Liminal Hour, Barangaroo said. "For me, the most beautiful thing about The Liminal Hour has been the natural and collaborative way everybody came together to create this contemporary spirit. She embodies the physicality and the philosophy of the land she inhabits her skin shimmers with the opalescence of oyster shells, her movements are as trees bending in the wind, she regenerates the land with fire in order to provide and she lives close by and is connected to the water."
Anthony Bastic, Curator of Light for Vivid Sydney - Oasis, Royal Botanic Garden Sydney added, "I really like the strong narrative that the artists at James Feng Design have developed, which pays homage to the memory of the 'forgotten' Australian children who grew up in care; in orphanages, children's homes, foster care and institutions. They've presented the topic in such a beautiful way, that it becomes quite a moving experience for visitors to the installation. You can feel a sense of calmness that descends across onlookers - it's a strong emotional moment and connection for visitors during Vivid Sydney."