Cities nurture, inspire and connect people, and yet living in the city can sometimes consume and swallow us up. Whether it is the morning commute and the...

What is a City but the People?

Location:

Circular Quay
2000 NSW
Australia

Image. A forest of 31 rectangular poles 1.5 to 2.2 metres tall resembles city skyscrapers. Grids of tiny holes on the poles’ exteriors glow with inner light, forming the buildings’ ‘windows’. These lights change in intensity and hue, depicting the rhythm of city life. Visitors move among the skyscrapers.What is a City but the People? - Vivid Light 2019

Access and Inclusion

  • Audio Described - Audio description is a service provided for patrons who are blind or have low vision. Trained audio describers give live, objective, verbal descriptions.
  • Wheelchair Accessible - Access to the venue is suitable for wheelchairs (toilets, ramps/lifts etc.) and designated wheelchair spaces are available.

Event Details

Artists:
WSP Australia Pty Ltd: Rachel Smith (Australia) / Kim Straatemeier (Australia) / Fiona Venn (Ireland)

Cities nurture, inspire and connect people, and yet living in the city can sometimes consume and swallow us up. Whether it is the morning commute and the mad rush of peak hour or just the 9-5 grind, the city crush often leaves us feeling exhausted and longing to escape.

The way that cities are planned, designed, serviced, governed and financed is material to our happiness and prosperity. Light plays a huge role in all of these factors, however the way natural and artificial light affects a city and its inhabitants isn’t always understood or acknowledged. 

Cities change with the path of the sun at different times of the year. The sun’s interaction with our city influences how people live, work and play within it, and so what is a city without people?

How often do you take a minute to sit back and appreciate your city? It’s often not until the sun starts to set that things begin to dance and twinkle. Against the backdrop of the golden hues of the sunset, the city starts to light up and we can really appreciate the enormity of what surrounds us. The most magical time to watch a city come to life is at night.

What is a City but the People invites visitors to play amongst 31 scaled down skyscrapers and buildings. Internally lit, the towers change colour from warm to cool hues mimicking the transition from morning to evening when they twinkle against the night sky. The installation encourages us to connect with and enjoy the city, seeing it from a different perspective.

 

Country represented by installation: Australia

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Audio Description

Access and Inclusion

  • Audio Described - Audio description is a service provided for patrons who are blind or have low vision. Trained audio describers give live, objective, verbal descriptions.
  • Wheelchair Accessible - Access to the venue is suitable for wheelchairs (toilets, ramps/lifts etc.) and designated wheelchair spaces are available.

Sponsors