Yakkazoo has collaborated with Aboriginal artist Wayne Quilliam to develop the Sharing the Life Essence campaign, which will appear on the opening night of the Vivid Sydney festival.
The visual installation will appear on the pylons of the Sydney Harbour Bridge as part of the Vivid Sydney’s First Light ceremony.
Vivid Sydney’s First Light ceremony is a celebration of First Nations culture shaped by creative advisor Rhoda Roberts AO.
Vivid Sydney will utilise the stunning backdrop of the Sydney Harbour Bridge pylons to open the festival for 2022 and celebrate the Gadigal people and Country through Quilliam’s projections.
Qulliam’s Sharing the Life Essence campaign celebrates the Gadigal people and their land through photography and animated graphics. His towering projection looks at the balance of our world and reveals how everything is connected.
Integrated advertising agency worked in collaboration with the artist, animating his images and bringing to life his story through animation.
Qulliam said: “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,” he added.
“This spectacular projection also warns us how unpredictable Country can be. 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. 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,” he added.
Qulliam’s work has also been exhibited at Yakkazoo Melbourne HQ in 2021 as part of the VMG Art Series.
The Series plays a dual role in supporting emerging artists as well as inspiring the agency team with a constantly changing and inspiring creative environment.
Yakkazoo managing director, Mark Barrett said the team was incredibly proud to be partnering with Qulliam on a show that not only celebrates First Nations culture, but is a central part of opening night of Vivid Sydney.
“Wayne Quilliam’s work is a real celebration of First Nations culture. It is also incredibly relevant to our current time when climate change is on the forefront of everyone’s minds. The way Wayne connects that to culture and translates it through the projections is really mesmerising,” he added.
Sharing the Same Life Essence will be shown on all four pylons of the Sydney Harbour Bridge from 5:40pm until Lights On at 6pm nightly from opening night on 27 May until the end of the festival on 18 June as part of Vivid Sydney’s First Light ceremony and performance that acknowledges our First Nations culture.