Featuring six interactive installations from Australian and international artists, Night Visions takes audiences on a multisensory journey into strange and exciting new worlds – each brought to life through a stunning combination of laser, light, projection and sound technology.
Artist Craig Walsh pays tribute to First Nations people and their deep connection to the natural world in the stunning work Monuments, which projects the faces of prominent Indigenous artists and community leaders onto surrounding trees. Walsh’s incredible attention to detail brings each portrait to life, from the wrinkles on their faces to the soulful eyes that seem to follow you wherever you walk. Each portrait is accompanied by a beautiful soundtrack composed by Elisha Umuhuri (aka Uncle PAYDAY, member of Indigenous hip hop group DEM MOB), which fuses the sounds of nature with First Nations music.
Jayden Sutherland creates an ethereal new world in Urban Echoes, which explores communication in the natural world. Shrouded in fog from a nearby smoke machine, stepping into Urban Echoes is like stepping onto an alien planet. Most of the physical surroundings are hidden by the smoke and bright, colourful lights that pierce the darkness, lighting up the sky above your head. Within this space, the beams of light are distorted by the smoke and the natural objects they reflect off, creating an ever-changing array of eye-catching patterns.
With First Light, Chris Petridis recreates the beauty of a sunrise with a display of deep red and orange lighting pulsating from behind trees. The installation is accompanied by a haunting soundtrack of soft musical scores and melodic vocals. There are moments when rhythmic chanting seems to echo across the open space, as though we’re bearing witness to an ancient civilisation or a sacred rite.
Robin Fox brings the rainforest of the Bicentennial Conservatory to life in Canopy. Here coloured beams of light shine through the foliage, lighting up the canopy beds and bouncing off tree trunks as they pulsate to the rhythmic beats of an ever-changing soundtrack of music and nature sounds that reverberates throughout the conservatory. Lights under the boardwalk create a laser maze effect which, while fun to walk through, does play with your sense of perception and spatial awareness.
UK artist Amelia Kosminsky completes the experience with Phantasma, lighting up the space with a rainbow of different colours..
Composer Jethro Woodward expertly blends the sounds of nature with soft melodic tones and powerful beats to create unique soundtracks that match the energy and atmosphere of each piece. This, combined with the smells of the botanic garden, creates a multisensory experience that encourages the audience to connect with the beauty of their surroundings.
Spread across a two-kilometre path, Night Visions is a relaxed, self-guided tour that takes you through some well-known attractions including the Bicentennial Conservatory. Comfortable, flat shoes are recommended; visitors should allow at least an hour to walk the trail.
Fully accessible, Night Visions unfolds largely on flat ground but the terrain does switch between concrete/paved/wooden and pebbled/dirt paths, so expect some mud if attending after rain. There were plenty of families with prams and patrons with walkers and mobility aids when this reviewer attended and all appeared to manage the trail comfortably.
Night Visions also features some strobe lighting and haze effects.
Read: Installation review: Lightscape, Royal Botanic Gardens
Those wishing to enhance their experience further can purchase a package ticket and dine at The Botanic Lodge, where they can enjoy a meal from a specially crafted menu created exclusively for Illuminate Adelaide.
Night Visions
Adelaide Botanic Garden
Creative Directors: Rachael Azzopardi and Lee Cumberlidge
Associate Creative Director: Chris Petridis
Featured Artists: Chris Petridis, Robin Fox, Craig Walsh, Amelia Kosminsky, Jayden Sutherland, Elisha Umuhuri
Composer and Sound Designer: Jethro Woodward
Cultural Consultant: Jack Buckskin
Producer: Daniel Vorrasi
Production Manager: Peter Kelly
Technical Director: Paul Lim
Night Visions will be exhibited until 20 July 2025 as part of Illuminate Adelaide.
