Every year the winter nights give lighting designers and artists the opportunity to present to the public exciting and unparalleled opportunities to view their unique light creations. This year I recently saw some of VIVID in Sydney and Lightscape in Melbourne. Both events delivered unforgettable experiences in very different ways, highlighting the different characters of each city.
In Sydney when I attended the 2023 IES Lighting Conference in June my hotel room had a fabulous view of Cockle Bay where I was thrilled to experience Elemental one of VIVID’s major installations which involved the four elements of earth, fire, water and air, “combining spectacular 80 metre water shooters, flames, projection and pyrotechnics”.
The VIVID walk covered 8.5km and was well curated with clear signage. Starting from the Opera House, following the water line to Circular Quay, The Harbour Bridge, The Rocks and on to Barangaroo, then Cockle Bay and Darling Harbour. Leaving the waterline to Tumbalong Park through to Haymarket and finishing at Central Station. I met one enthusiastic visitor who had seen the entire show in one go. Unfortunately I did not have the time to do it all.
One week later I was back in Melbourne at the Royal Botanical Gardens attending the opening night of Lightscape . The focus of Lightscape is on nature, highlighting the beautiful backdrop of the Royal Botanical Gardens, creating a sense of wonder and delight. I particularly liked the installations which explored the reflection of trees in the lake giving it an otherworldly, magical feel.
I feel that these days we can have too much on offer all at once. Having everything available in one show is like seasonal fruits being available all year. While Lightscape is smaller than VIVID, it has the joy which comes with waiting for the seasonal fruits to ripen and having the time to enjoy them.
Amander Flaherty