In a fitting tribute, John Olsen’s artworks will grace Sydney Opera House for Vivid Sydney, on the building’s 50th anniversary. But how does it fit with history?
John Olsen and Curiious, ‘Lighting of the Sails: Life Enlivened’ (2023), digital render. Co-commissioned by Destination NSW and Sydney Opera House. Image: Supplied.
Tonight (26 May), the lights will be turned on for Vivid Sydney – the festival of light, music and ideas that activates Sydney venues and urban locations.
Centre stage is the illumination of the Sydney Opera House sails. The sails were first used by Vivid Sydney in 2009 with Brian Eno’s 77 Million Paintings. Of the 11 presentations between 2009 and 2019, two have presented or incorporated the artworks and designs of Indigenous Australians.
Gina Fairley is ArtsHub's Senior Contributor, after 12 years in the role as National Visual Arts Editor. She has worked for extended periods in America and Southeast Asia, as gallerist, arts administrator and regional contributing editor for a number of magazines, including Hong Kong based Asian Art News and World Sculpture News. She is an Art Tour leader for the AGNSW Members, and lectures regularly on the state of the arts. She is based in Mittagong, regional NSW.
Instagram: fairleygina
