Leila Jeffreys’ NEST at VIVID Sydney
June 1, 2024
Last week, Leila Jeffreys’ largest installation so far, “NEST”, came to life at Vivid Sydney 2024.
NEST, created with Jeffreys’ collaborator Melvin J. Montalban, celebrates the Australian Brolga (a wetland bird species) and their beautiful courtship dance. In Jeffreys’ words:
“We wanted to create an artwork that essentially shows these birds in just such serene beauty. And, with a gathering of people to experience it, it’s like a moment when everyone gets into a very heartfelt experience of the beauty of nature.”
Under this year’s theme of Vivid Sydney, “Humanity”, Jeffreys and Montalban chose to work with a large projection to flip the scale in which we are used to looking at birds.
Suddenly, projected on a giant screen in slow motion, the birds become giant, serene creatures performing the most beautiful dance in front of the eyes of the tiny spectators: Humanity.
A reminder of the awe-inspiring force of nature.
NEST is shown at Stargazer Lawn Barangaroo from 24th May until 15th June 2024.
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Artist Leila Jeffreys & Melvin J. Montalban
Cinematographer Chris Bryan Films
Bird Trainers Feathered Friends Birds Sanctuary
Composer Jackson Mico Milas
Commissioned by Vivid Sydney