Visitors to Vivid Sydney can journey into darkness and experience the gift of sight in a powerful exhibition created by Australia’s most celebrated street artists for The Fred Hollows Foundation.
The artworks, created with special ultra-violet paints, are invisible to the naked eye, with visitors only able to discover the striking images and intricate designs using a UV flashlight.
Popular street artists Anthony Lister, Shannon Crees, Martin E Wills and Aroha Groves are among the 19 artists and illustrators who donated their time to create the unique artworks. Each artwork illustrates the theme ‘the wonder of sight’ in a different way, in celebration of The Foundation’s 25th anniversary this year.
The eye-opening journey pays tribute to the life and work of Australian ophthalmologist and humanitarian Professor Fred Hollows and his Foundation in the city that was his home.
Fred Hollows, together with Gabi Hollows, established The Foundation in Sydney in 1992, just months before he passed away, so that his mission of ending avoidable blindness could continue. The Foundation has since restored sight to more than two million people and works in more than 25 countries.
CEO of The Fred Hollows Foundation, Brian Doolan said, “We are excited to be part of Vivid Sydney, the world’s largest festival of light, music and ideas that showcases some of the best artistic talent in the world here in Sydney.”
“Sydney is where Fred Hollows worked, it’s where his children grew up and where he established The Foundation,” said Doolan.
“It is a sad fact that there are 32.4 million people in the world who are blind, yet four out of five of them don’t need to be.
“To shine a light on this message at Vivid Sydney is a wonderful opportunity to inspire others to help restore sight.”
The installation is located in Darling Harbour, adjacent to Tumbalong Park, on the footpath outside the International Convention Centre, Sydney. It is open from 6pm-11pm, from Friday 26 May to Saturday 17 June.