Sharing the Same Life Essence

Celebrate the Gadigal people and our special land. Told through Wayne Quilliam’s photography and animated graphics, this towering projection looks at the balance of our world and reveals how everything is connected.

Everything was created to connect, everything is living.

Our story begins with the creation. The Rainbow Serpent forms the country – and the many totems of sea, land and the night sky that connect to it. From the river estuaries, to the rocks, and the sea, we see fish life and totems of the Sydney basin spring to life across the surface.

Indigenous people make their mark, etching their stories here since time immemorial. These markings become our mapping and knowledge library, ensuring we understand the season, the cycles, while learning to live and care for this ancient land.

This spectacular projection also warns us how unpredictable Country can be. Perhaps it is best to go back and remind ourselves how it was formed and shaped to sit as it does in the southern oceans? NSW has long seen the benefits of thousands of years of Indigenous culture and land practices. Dictated by natural seasonal change, everything was passed on and understood.

When you listen to the wind that blows across the country, feel the sun, and look at the tidal changes, you are given greater knowledge of our special land. Despite facing uncertain climate change, we can still imagine and celebrate as we draw upon age-old techniques and absorb knowledge from the past to nurture our future.

Sharing the Same Life Essence will be shown on all four pylons of the Sydney Harbour Bridge from 5:40pm nightly as part of Vivid Sydney's First Light ceremony and performance that acknowledges our First Nations culture.