The Royal Botanic Garden Sydney

The Royal Botanic Garden is Vivid Sydney in a nutshell: a collaboration and showcase between artists and collectives, young and old — where new developments in projection, lighting and sound technology enable them to use plants, rock walls, tree canopies and even the magnificent trunks of 100-year-old Ficuses — as organic canvases, the nexus perhaps, of Art and Botany.

One of the first creations to make your eyes pop is Electric Forest, an incredible tableau devised by the production design, music, entertainment design, 3D art and animation students from TAFE NSW. Then, as you walk on into the Garden’s embrace, you are greeted by You lookin’ at me?: five big glaring eyeballs, scattered across the grass verge, behaving like watchful predators. Beware! If you come too close, they take action!

Along the way, Birds of Lumos introduce you to ‘Rowi’ — a rare species of kiwi and her chick — they have the body of a light globe, beaks with nostrils and wear sight enhancing night goggles. The Sunflowers is a joyous light sculpture that places large potted sunflowers along your route; they bow before you as you pass.