A HURSTVILLE university student will help Sydney transform into an after-hours playground at this year’s Vivid Sydney festival, which opens tonight.The fourth annual festival, which runs until June 11, will display more than 60 sculptures, projections and lights at the Sydney Opera House, Museum of Contemporary Art, Circular Quay and The Rocks.Architecture student William Chan, 22, wanted to address “urbanisation in our cities” with his piece Palette of Urban Green.

The Sydney University student spent a month working on the design concept before he was selected in February.

“The key message from my installation is to look at the need to address issues surrounding urbanisation in our cities,” Mr Chan said of his life-size sculptures.

“I’ve expressed my message using timber pallets, which some might consider a waste material, then transforming them into almost an architectural tower.”

The aspiring architect, who used more than 100 metres of LED lighting for his five-sculpture installation, said looking at the relationship between the natural and built environment was important to his profession and community.

“It’s a theme that’s really strong in terms of where I live in Hurstville, where it’s categorised, and from an urban planning perspective, because of its large growth it’s almost becoming another CBD,” Mr Chan said.

“These kind of issues have to be addressed by the community and our government to value sustainable urbanisation, deal with low-cost housing and climate change.”

Sydney University student Luke Hespanhol, 36, of Sutherland, joined his classmates and teachers from his interaction design and electronic art degree to create Chromopolination — an interactive light exhibition that features 12 dandelion-style lights.

“The lights are spread across three garden beds, which forms a triangle,” Mr Hespanhol said.

“When people walk through it triggers an interactive response in the form of lighting.”

Materials used for the installation include aluminium for the frames, plastic cable ties for the petals and fibre optics.

Festival director Anthony Bastic said the Vivid Sydney festival grew each year, with artists raising the creative bar by combining new, low-energy light technologies with design and innovation.

‘‘We encourage everyone to come and enjoy this magnificent light walk,’’ he said.

See more at Vivid Sydney

St George and Sutherland Shire Leader. 

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