Brian Eno Lights Up Sydney Opera House

Brian Eno, genius, father of ambient music, producer and self-proclaimed non-musician, can now add another title to his already storied career. As Curator of the Luminious Festival, Eno has created continuously changing layers of abstract art to be projected on the sails of the Opera House during the three-week music, light and art festival, which began yesterday, May 26.

Richard Evans, CEO of the Opera House, told BBC that Eno’s art works as a palette to accentuate the iconic building. “It’s a number of colors which kind of meld into one another and move around, sometimes quickly, sometimes very, very slowly; in fact, most times quite slowly," he said. “We’re not coloring in the Opera House, we’re actually kind of taking the art of the Opera House and kind of raising it to a different level. Giving the sails to the Opera House is not done lightly.”

Eno, whose production work has included albums by U2, Talking Heads and Coldplay, told The Sydney Morning Herald that he hopes his art will have a meditative effect on his audience. “I think what I’m most interested in this work is trying to create a situation within which you can experience some kind of surrender," he said. "Where you stop being you for a little while.”

The festival hosts 30 musical acts including Battles, Ladytron and Lee "Scratch" Perry, who will perform in and around the Opera House. Luminous ends June 14.

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Luminous Festival official site

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