Badu Gili: Wonder Women 2022

Overview

It's one of the city's best-known landmarks, so when the Sydney Opera House illuminates its sails, it stands out. You've seen the venue lit up for Vivid, to launch Mardi Gras and to support bushfire relief — and, as part of Badu Gili, the nightly showcase of First Nations artwork that was first launched in 2017.

The harbourside spot is decking out its sails with projections every night until the end of March for its new Badu Gili series. This time around, Badu Gili: Wonder Women is back, focusing on the work and stories of six female First Nations artists.

Curated by Coby Edgar, the Art Gallery of New South Wales' Curator of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art, Badu Gili: Wonder Women is a creative collaboration between the Opera House and AGNSW to mark the latter's 150th anniversary. As the sun sets each day, the Opera House's eastern Bennelong sail will illuminate with a vibrant six-minute animated projection.

The animation will repeat three more times each night — approximately every hour, but the timing changes every evening depending on the season, events at the Opera House's Forecourt and daylight savings.

The visual component of Badu Gili — which translates to 'water light' in the language of the site's traditional owners, the Gadigal people — will also be accompanied by a return of Badu Gili Live. The free outdoor music series will run throughout February and March, with performances each Saturday night and a pop-up bar run by the National Centre of Indigenous Excellence Kitchen.

Ken Leanfore