Enlighten 2019

The Enlighten festival (held in early March each year) has become a must see experience for us.  We are still taking the cheap option and only going to the free events - but don't feel short-changed at all.  The Parliamentary Triangle explodes with light, with colour, with music and with quirky fun. 
I shared some of the quirky fun in Sunday Selections but there was, as usual, lots more.
Please come with me - and settle in for a looooong ride with a lot of photos.  As always photos will embiggen when clicked upon.

This year we arrived a bit before dark, and wandered down to see what was happening.  Lots.

There are 110 flags in this display, representing 108 Missions that have a diplomatic presence here as well as flags for the European Union and the United Nations. 

I never tire of clouds - or sunsets.

Or the orb at the National Gallery.  I like the details in the ceiling above the Gallery entry too.

And the action starts...

The illumations at the National Gallery I AM VISIBLE by contemporary Australian artist Tony Albert.   They were designed to draw attention to the visibility of Aboriginal people and their voices in the national conversation. The NGA’s façade featured images of proud young Aboriginal men, each emblazoned with red targets on their chests, along with statements of love and respect for family and community. 

More illuminated trees and paths.

The images above were from the National Portrait Gallery.  We were invited to step into a photo booth and the images captured were featured on the back wall, often with alien ears added.

A fast moving dragon.

I liked the Giant Cat - but cannot remember what he represented.

Old Parliament house - known by some as the Museum of Democracy.  

Questacon - which has been more exciting in other years.

 

Finishing up at our National Library.  Not only are the buildings illuminated, they stay open much later than usual. Enlighten really is a heap of fun.  I was a very tired puppy at the end of the night, but glad we went. 

Sunday Selections #422

Sunday Selections was originally brought to us by Kim of Frogpondsrock, as an ongoing meme where participants could post previously unused photos languishing in their files.
 
The meme is now continued by River at Drifting through life.  The rules are so simple as to be almost non-existent.  Post some photos under the title Sunday Selections and link back to River.  River's hands have been giving her grief so she may or may not post her selections.  She will be missed, but I have returned to the blogosphere and will keep the meme warm for her.
 
Clicking on any of the photos will make them embiggen. 
 
Like River I usually run with a theme.   March is festival month in my city.  The two main ones are Enlighten and the Balloon Spectacular.  I went to them both.  My teensy concession to not feeling very well was that I only went to Enlighten once.

The buildings in the Parliamentary Triangle are illuminated, and there is also some quirky fun.

I will show you the illuminated buildings a little later, but today I am focussing on some of the quirky fun. 

I suspect these beasties lit up at night, but I didn't see them after dark,

The Night Noodle Markets were incredibly well patronised.  With huge queues and nowhere to sit, we gave them a big miss.

The jellyfish was back, and I believe there are others in the city as well.

The Dog Park was fun wasn't it?

I am not certain what this one represented but it was close to our Aboriginal Tent Embassy and seems to owe something to their artistic traditions and culture.

Everyone had the chance to be an angel.  I didn't see them but was told that a couple who were married at the nearby National Gallery came down in their wedding finery, waited in line and posed in the wings.  It was a gay wedding and the rainbow wings are entirely appropriate. 

These structures make me think of Easter Island but are interactive musical instruments (played very badly by the crowd).

Do you wonder that having discovered it a few years ago we keep coming back to Enlighten?  Neither of us like crowds, but this one is well behaved, and quirky fun is always welcome.