Vivid Sydney 2019: Sneak peek of The Rocks precinct
A dancing ballerina, Goo! game and a Pixar light projection on the underside of the Argyle Cut.
The Rocks precinct is a staple of Vivid Sydney, with installations peppered throughout its historical walkways, at the Overseas Passenger Terminal and all the way to Hickson Road Reserve.
This year, there are more than a few exceptional displays to gawp over and interact with. We had a preview of them this week and here are the highlights.
The most highly anticipated is undoubtedly Pixar: 30 Years of Art and Animation. It's a series of clips of Pixar's flicks, from the very first Toy Story movie all the way through to the upcoming Toy Story 4 and includes drawings, paintings and watercolours of the characters we all know and love. It will be projected onto the top of the Argyle Cut and runs for a few minutes on a loop from 7-11pm nightly. The best way to see it? By lying on the road.
Another big showstopper is bound to be Ballerina. It's a stop-motion style lighting sequence along Campbell's Cove made of 20 silhouettes that dance along the waterfront. You can see it up close at Campbell's Cove or keep walking toward the Park Hyatt to capture it all in one shot.
One of the more interactive beauties is Goo! which sits just outside the Overseas Passenger Terminal. It's a game where up to three players can manipulate slime projected onto the screen via their arm and leg movements. It's like a virtual reality game, only without the headset.
Other little moments of fun include Nostalgia Above – suspended clouds that are programmed as weather systems, gleaming white as it predicts sunny days and dark and moody on stormy ones.
Just around the corner is Watch Your Chips! – a grid of enigmatic birds in flight laced with lights. Press the button and their light pattern changes from calm and collected to buzzing mayhem.
You can catch Vivid Sydney from 24 May until 15 June from 6pm until 11pm, except for Pixar which starts at 7pm.
For more details on Vivid and to plan your night, visit our Vivid Sydney guide for 2019.