The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is a non-profit, marine conservation organisation that uses direct action tactics to protect sealife. Most of the group’s recent activities take place in international waters with a strong focus on public relations to spread their message via the media. Sea Shepherd currently operates Neptunes Navy, which includes the vessels MY Steve Irwin, the Bob Barker and the MV Brigitte Bardot. The Bob Barker is seen here, during the recent open day at Circular Quay. In February 2010, while actively protesting against whaling, it collided with the Japanese whaling vessel Yushin Maru No. 3, tearing a gash in the hull.
This artwork was hung above a walkway at Circular Quay during the Vivid Sydney festival. The spatial installation takes the theme of this yea’s festival “Let there be Light” to hark back to the beginning of time, before city light pollution dimmed our view of scattered stars. “Crystallized” was created by Andrew Daly and Katharine Fife from 4000 edge-lit acrylic, recyclable rods like a canopy of glittering stalactites in a cave. The programmed LEDs gave a fluctuating colourful abstraction of a starry night sky that you could wander beneath.
These artworks, located around Circular Quay and at The Rocks, were part of the Vivid Sydney festival. “Light Wave Action” (top)was designed by Haron Robson’s lightmatters team in Australia in collaboration with Bow Jaruwangsanti from Thailand, Kristy Philp from Fiji, Christa Van Zoeren from the Netherlands. Visitors could wander through this wave-like sculpture for a multi-sensory experience, inspired by nature, reflecting the subtle colour of twilight skies and paying homage to the sea – representing nature’s power in the movement and formation of waves. “School” (bottom) designed by Jon Voss of Australia was a large group of fish seemingly swimming in a continuous circle of variable light through the limbs of a tree. Each fish gives off a soft glow intensified by the rough-cut edges of its skeletal form. Individually, they emit a low light but together as a school, the light is intensified. It imitates the shimmering light and movement of schooling fish but floating here in an urban environment.
These artworks, located around Circular Quay and at The Rocks, were part of the Vivid Sydney festival. “Melody” (top) was created by Singapore’s Sun Yu-Li. This free flowing ribbon form, beams light from inside its perforated stainless steel sculptural frame. It implies the rhyme of Sydney Harbour in Circular Quay and the music emanating from the Sydney Opera House as part of the magical precinct you are located in. “aLf” or “artificial Light form” (bottom) was created by Australia’s Victoria Bolton, Kim Nguyen Ngoc, Catherine Kuok, Guy Hanson. It is described as an artificial biomorphic entity that glows when you physically interact with him. He sleeps with a subdued blue pulse when he feels alone and when awakened by your presence engages in a visual conversation with a boisterous red pulse.
This animated sculpture was suspended above the Circular Quay foreshore at the Overseas Passenger Terminal for the Vivid Sydney festival. “The Light Wheel” was created by Australia’s Andre Kecskes and Mark Hammer. It is a play on the sun as the source of light, with LED lamps creating a mass of moving patterns which cycle through the colour spectrum with pulses and ripples throughout the evening. The sculpture runs entirely off one 10 amp outlet.
As part of the Vivid Sydney festival, this bench has been installed on the Circular Quay foreshore, leading up to the Sydney Opera House. The artwork is called “C/C” and is created by Singapore’s Angela Chong. It is illuminated at night with low energy, colour changing LED lights. I thought it was worth photographing during the day because it has such a spectacular backdrop. It’s a shame the view was partly blocked by the hoarding around the escalators which are being repaired.
Circular Quay and the Sydney skyline illuminated for the annual Vivid Sydney festival which runs until this Monday night. These are just some of the colours featured in “Skyscraper Illuminati” created by 32 Hundred Lighting but there are also quite a few animated designs this year which are difficult to photograph. This view is from the Overseas Passenger Terminal looking towards the Circular Quay ferry wharves and Circular Quay railway station, rising up to the city skyscrapers.