Scenes From Vivid Sydney 2013

The Spinifex Group and The Electric Canvas took to the Sydney Opera House sails showcasing a newly commissioned artwork that transported audiences through a playfully projected journey celebrating Vivid Sydney, a festival of lights, music, culture, and more that ran its fifth year from May 24 to June 10.

The Electric Canvas provided the projection technology, technicians, and architectural templates that are the backbone upon which the creative content is produced. Each year, the guest artist is provided the appropriate templates, format, and workflow to create their work for delivery by our OnlyView™ media servers that feed the large array of high-powered projectors.The Electric Canvas is also responsible for the day-to-day operation and maintenance of the projection system’s pixel-accurate alignment with the Opera House’s architecture.

 

This year an alternate projector site had to be developed due to the presence of a cruise ship in the harbor on the opening night of Vivid. The Electric Canvas specified the location and structural details for a huge scaffolding tower located close to the Sydney Harbor Bridge. It was vital that the towers were extremely rigid due to the 450m projection distance. The projectors also needed to be installed at a height that prevented glare from the large volume of maritime traffic. To determine a safe height, The Electric Canvas took a series of time-lapse videos at various heights to establish the appropriate specification for the structure.

Spinifex's creative director Richard Lindsay says the Opera House lighting design was inspired by aspects of Sydney's neon life including the Coca-Cola sign at Kings Cross. "Our main objective was to do something much more tangible audience-wise," he says. "We just wanted to make it that little bit more fun and entertaining."

The Electric Canvas also presented "Cadman's Finger," an installation at Cadman's Cottage using the company's new FingerPaint interactive projection mapping system.

In addition to the Opera House, the Sydney Harbor Bridge was lit, and Darling Harbor was transformed into a water theatre, masterminded by France’s Aquatique Show International. Customs House, Circular Quay, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, The Rocks, and Walsh Bay were also canvases for projection.

Check out more scenes around Vivid Sydney here:

"Cadman's Finger" at Vivid Sydney 2013 from The Electric Canvas on Vimeo.