Sunday 27th May 2018 - VIVID @ The Botanic Gardens & The Opera House Night 3

My 3rd night in a row at the VIVID festival and I am starting to get tired but I need to see as much of VIVID as I can before this week is up as I have a very busy schedule in June July and into August - not to mention the rest of the year.

Night 3 @ VIVID The Botanic Gardens & The Opera House  was jam packed with wonderful interactive art installations.

I have uploaded quite a few videos onto YouTube but also refer to my photos below.

First stop was to find the art installations that I missed last night. # 46 Closer . When I found this I was pretty curious to see what it was however when I arrived I was a little disappointed. Located in the forecourt of The Musuem of Sydney, it was a white box like structure where you queued to enter from one side and exit from the other side. There was no queue therefore I wandered into the entrance along with a handful of others. Inside it was a white maze with single words printed in bold black in dead ends and lots of lights that illuminated the maze similar to those lights found around mirrors in celebrities dressing rooms except there were no mirrors except for on the ceiling at the end near the exit which is intended for selfie opportunities. I just did not get this interactive art installation at all and neither did most of the people that entered and exited it tonight. Apparently it had to do with social media and each word had to do with a social media platform eg BIRD meant Twitter CAMERA meant selfie GHOST for Snapchat etc..

Onto the next art installation and to get there it was one way foot traffic and onto #21 Nice To Meet You which is next to where I finished off the night before with the projection of # 20 The Complete Adventures of Snugglepot & Cuddlepie on Customs House.

I find that the crowds could only flow in one direction starting at # 22 Visible Dynamics and continue towards the Sydney Opera House Forecourt past The Samsung hub S1 The Night. Reimagined.( refer my YouTube video uploaded with explanation notes). I am hoping that on my way back I will be able to see # 21 and not have to bypass it.

Continue up the promenade towards the Sydney Opera House and pass more interactive art installations such as Skylark 1/2 which control the lights streaking and streaming across the skies above and over the harbour and Skylark 2/2 which control turning on and off the sequence of coloured lights on The Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Watch the projection of # 29 Metamethemagical on the sails of the Sydney Opera House before visiting the Samsung hub or bypassing it if you lack time to head straight for the entrance to the Botanic Gardens.

At S1 Samsung hub I chose Journey 1 Walk through and don't forget to climb the stairs up to their viewing  platform after the Walk Though - the 360 degree view from above is quite amazing - great for photo opportunities and selfies as well as looking down onto the queues for Journey 1 and Journey 2.

Continue onto the Botanic Garden entrance. Over the entry gate is the first art installation # 30 Midnight Moon followed by art installations # 31 The Nautilus Forest  - # 45 Ember at the exit of the Botanic Gardens.

Within the Botanic Gardens there are pop up bars, food stalls and toliets  at the bottom and top  of the gardens. Also visit T1 Light Houses & T2 Photonic State before exting the gardens.

Light Walk circuit almost finished only a few more art installations to look at ie back to # 21 Nice To Meet You. Unfortunately I missed # 26 Timekeeper which was on the other side of the promenade  in the opposite direction of foot traffic barricaded off.

Be prepared to walk  by following the crowds in one direction at least a km to get back to catch the train from Circular Quay Station. No turning back once you reach the gate of the Botanic Gardens.

A big Debbie Downer of VIVID is the way the barricades kept changing throughout the night and every night. Crowd control and direction of foot traffic definitely needs a lot of work!!!!!!Take note VIVID organisers. Which is too bad I therefore give it an honest Rating :  7/10.

Will I be visiting VIVID on a 4th night? No. I will leave Luna Park Barangaroo the rest of Chatswood and anything I missed at Circular Quay & The Rocks for another night as well as revisit the 8 pm Friday or Saturday night laser show with fireworks at a later date - when I get a chance in my busy schedule. Will not visit King's Cross as it is a little out of my way although I would love to see the Coke sign lit up in all its glory. My tradition is also to leave seeing  VIVID @ Taronga Zoo on the closing night of VIVID.

I have now seen 80% of VIVID in the first  3 nights of the VIVID festival. Still to see are the rest of Chatswood, Taronga Zoo which is a tradition of mine to go to on the closing night of VIVID , Barangaroo and Luna Park as well as the 2 or 3 art installations I missed. There is one venue I skip each year and that is King's Cross as it is a little out of my way. I may go back to Darling Harbour for the 8 pm fireworks and laser light show on a Friday or Saturday night later into the VIVID festival schedule permitting.