Sydney shines light on Chinese artist

The 15th edition of Vivid Sydney, Australia's largest annual celebration of light, music, ideas and food, officially lit up the Harbour City under the theme Dream.

Running through to Saturday, more than 200 events will unfold across five creatively curated zones throughout central Sydney. Among them, Chinese artist Yannesi Siu is drawing attention with two standout installations that blend ancient mythology with cutting-edge technology.

Siu is the first Chinese artist individually invited to participate in Vivid Sydney's official program. Her works, Fly to the Moon at Barangaroo and Telephone at Darling Harbour, are quickly becoming focal points of the festival.

Fly to the Moon reimagines the legend of Chang'e, the moon goddess of Chinese mythology. Siu transforms the story into a luminous dreamscape, using light and motion to reinterpret the moon not just as a symbol of nostalgia, but as a metaphor for human ambition and imagination.

Her second installation, Telephone, delves into the intersection of memory, technology, and time. Set inside a vintage telephone booth, the work features a custom-developed AI voice interaction system. Visitors can speak into the receiver, and their messages are instantly converted into animated light symbols that ripple across the installation's dome. This dialogue between past and future is elevated by China's homegrown HDR Vivid ultra-HD visual technology.

"This piece is rooted in the Chinese tradition of 'using technique to carry meaning'," Siu said. "I hope audiences can reflect on how technology connects us — not just functionally, but emotionally — across time and space."

This year, Vivid Sydney spans five unique precincts — Circular Quay and The Rocks, Barangaroo, Martin Place and the CBD, Darling Harbour, and The Goods Line and Inner City —offering immersive experiences in light, ideas, music and food over 23 nights.