Sydney Stories - Vivid Sydney

Early June, 2016


When our Travel Agent met the family at Uluru, she said she was "in town" for Vivid Sydney.  I wasn't entirely sure what she meant at the time.  I thought I had read something about Vivid as we moved around the country.  But I didn't really understand what it was.  She was very excited and said she would report back when she arrived in Sydney.


When we were in Hobart, I got an e-mail from our agent.  "Vivid Sydney is amazing!!  You're going to have a great time!!"  By this point, I had read a bit more about Vivid, but didn't entirely understand what we would be seeing.

This.  We'd be seeing this.
The Vivid Sydney website calls the festival a place where "art, technology and commerce intersect."  It began in 2009 and has grown since then.  In 2016, it was a 23 day festival, with art installations, live music and speakers scattered around the city.  Basically, you couldn't swing a dead cat without running into an installation of some sort.


It was awesome.

So really, this post isn't about Vivid and the history and such.  It's really about the pictures of the lights.  We wandered around parts of the city for two days and nights to see the lights.  And one evening, we climbed aboard a cruise on a rainy night to see the lights from a different angle.  I didn't get a chance to hear any speakers or see any music.  But we saw quite a bit of the lights.  And that's what really mattered.  At least for me.  

Cathedral of Light

Probably my favorite of the lights.
EORA - The Land
This one is a bit of a cheat.  The video of people dancing is to the right of this picture.  Just, I liked this picture better than the one I had with the guy dancing.
Fountain

A close-up of what was coming out of the fountain.
Tectonic

Flurry


I Love You
Awww...you guys...
The Matter of Painting


In the Frame
I was trying for something here.
Not sure I got it.
And there's the snark. Every picture Dad took of me, I'm sporting this face.
Mountain of Light

Geometrics



Lighting the Sails "Longlines"

 This is the only one I really want to talk about.  The pictures (and video) of the Opera House are important.  The lights projected on the Opera House are of animated Aboriginal art.  The music in the background of the video was on the cruise we were taking.  Which, if you think even a moment about, is the complete wrong music to be playing on any kind of floating object.




The Art of Performance

Electric Garden




Enchanted Forest

Window of Opportunity


8Bits+Bites
There was food in this area.  Ramen was there.  But we didn't eat.  Which I kind of regret.
True Life

 Totem Forest


You hit these things and the lights changed.  I didn't do this.  But Mom and Elias did.  Obviously.
It's not often when we time things right.  We normally get to town right before or right after something really cool.  But we nailed this one.  And it was awesome.




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