Top 9 ways to see Vivid Sydney
Pack your camera and your winter woollies because everyone’s favourite music, art and light festival is back.
Vivid Sydney has returned bigger and brighter than ever, and we’ve got the rundown of top things to see and do.
The festival kicks off in Sydney on May 22 (tonight!) and runs until June 8, with Destination NSW’s chief executive officer Sandra Chipchase saying it’s become a “can’t miss event of the season”, drawing over 1.43 million people last year alone.
“With more installations, projections and precincts than ever, we’re recommending visitors to plan their visit across a few nights, with Monday to Thursday evenings best suited to families looking to avoid crowds that build during the weekend,” she said.
Here’s the round up, from family-friendly to intellectually stimulating.
Internal Galaxy | May 22 – June 8 | FREE | The Rocks
Encased within a six metre shipping container, Internal Galaxy is designed to allow each viewer to change what they see – and in doing so alter their perceptions of space.
All sides of the container are mirrored, and a lattice comprising hundreds of multi-coloured LED Pixel lights is suspended from the ceiling, with the light continuously rippling like a kaleidoscope.
Vivid Sydney Game Zone | 22 May – 8 June | FREE | Pyrmont and The Star
The Pyrmont harbourside will be transformed into an interactive, multi-sensory game zone, where you control the action.
With a DIY digital fireworks display, and the chance to beam dozens of search lights off of The Star’s roof, it’s this rooftop that will be the place to be, with The Star creating the Vivid Lounge at the Sky Terrace.
Two Up Talk Series | 31 May | From $19 | 107 Projects
Two Up is the name, two unrelated discussions is the game, in this stimulating Vivid event.
Advocate for the “slow journalism” movement Dr Megan Le Masurier will bring you an eloquent rundown of why print is not dead, before artist Chris Fox shares his insight into public art and all its possibilities.
Monster World | May 22 – June 8 | FREE | The Rocks
Located in The Rocks, here’s your chance for your little monsters to meet their alter egos. As people approach the installation, digital ‘monsters’ curiously follow their movements, occasionally mimicking their gestures in surprising and delightful ways.
If participants wave or dance, the monsters may decide to wave back or do a dance of their own.
Streets Ahead | 22 May – 8 June | FREE | Central Park
Celebrated indigenous artist Reko Rennie is behind this gem, which fuses the iconography of his Aboriginal heritage with the contemporary style of graffiti, taking the old and bringing it into the new.
In this popular new hub of Central Park, you’ll also find a series of lectures, exhibitions and a workshop on getting ahead in business, as well as night markets, interactive entertainment and silent discos every night of Vivid.
Transcendence | May 22 – June 8 | FREE | Martin Place
Designed by new media artist Joseph Crossley, using the latest in Intel technology, Transcendence brings together a variety of new media art, from projection mapping to computer mapping to computer-code driven light shows.
Each night, the show handpicks a collection of artists working alongside Crossley to create a constantly changing visual landscape, illuminating Martin Place.
INTER/play | May 22 – June 8 | FREE | Cadmans Cottage, The Rocks
Step into a multiplayer world as the historic Cadmans Cottage turns into a magical canvas. As people move in front of the Cottage their movements are mapped and projected onto the building walls in a dazzling display of light and movement.
Instead of being pre-rendered, the graphics projected onto and into the cottage evolve in real-time and are ‘sculpted’ through the movement and interactions of spectators, people passing by or those drawn into the cottage itself.
Light Origami | 22 May – 8 June | FREE | Circular Quay
Imagine a giant 3D kaleidoscope constructed using over 320 origami shapes made from Perspex. Changing spectrums of light are projected within the space, and when mirrored against the Perspex, the effect is like being inside a kaleidoscope.
The installation is brought to you by Japanese artist Masakazu Shirane and Aussie boy Reuben Young.
A Game of Drones | May 22 – June 8 | FREE | Martin Place
Ever wanted your own drone? Here’s your chance. Take control of a playful swarm of colourful drones in a skyward bumper race using Intel-powered tablets, illuminating a massive, specially designed enclosure at Martin Place.
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