All lit up: Basking in the Afterglow
Let the fire guide you this Brisbane Festival as City Botanic Gardens come alive with Afterglow – a breathtaking new after-dark experience that invites you to follow the flame into a world of wonder.
Among the many delights Brisbane Festival is offering, Afterglow should be on your list of must-do experiences. This fire trail in the City Botanic Gardens offers patrons a special multi-sensory experience in which not only fire but striking light installations combine with ambient soundscapes.
The trail has been created and produced by Culture Creative and is very different from the previous successful light show, Lightscape.
The first installation you come to, Ba-nguru Milpa (Spiritual Awakening) is created by Yuggera and Toorabul man Shannon Ruska and Culture Creative. Thousands of LEDs and fiery candles snake along the ground, accompanied by a narration about how fire, smoke, oil and water have always been an intrinsic part of the Indigenous culture. Clapsticks and didgeridoo sounds evoke mystical elements. It’s worth taking your time to relish the sight and inhale the aroma of the fire pits. The sound composition is by Guy Webster.
Meteor Walk by Steve Holmes, from Filament Creative Studios, leads you along a wooden walkway into an enchanting stroll under dangling pendulums of flashing lights, which evoke other-worldly stalactites.
the appearance of clusters of reeds, some up to seven metres high, which pulsate with moving lights, accompanied by soaring sounds
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After that you come to Ros-O by TILT – a French artistic studio that focuses on the exploration of light and its interplay with art, architecture and space. This installation has the appearance of clusters of reeds, some up to seven metres high, which pulsate with moving lights, accompanied by soaring sounds and staccato banging, evoking the feeling of watching low-key fireworks (without the high volume). It’s worth sitting on the bench and soaking up the mesmerising beauty and ambience, which complements the surrounding trees of the gardens.
A lantern trail with a difference sees 30 selected Brisbane creators of all ages having their work displayed in the Fire & Flourish Lantern Project. The theme is of the powerful duality of fire, with it being able to destroy but also renew, especially in relation to the cultural and spiritual significance to First Nationals people. Brisbane visual artist Sam Harrison, along with Brisbane Festival, selected the entries that explore subject matter relating to nature, such as the land and the creatures that depend on it for survival. It’s a joy to see such a diverse range of interpretations in this colourful display.
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At this point in the 1.4km trail you might be tempted to have a breather by popping into the conveniently located bar where you can have a drink and perhaps indulge in some marshmallow toasting over fire pits. Very civilised! From here, you can enjoy the view of an avenue of spectacularly illuminated bamboo creating a natural arch over the next part of the trail.
This vista leads to an installation actually named Vista, by Brian Thunder, who’s been creating fire installations at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh for Culture Creative since 2017. It’s several rows of burning candles on poles, leading up the incline and converging at the top. In Brisbane’s City Botanic Gardens, this creates an interesting juxtaposition because a famous superannuation-branded government-occupied building sits at the top in the distance. Not sure what that might imply!
Towards the end of the enchanting trail is Fire Performance by Flux, a duo who twirl and dance with large flame-lit frames. Performed at 15-minute intervals, the short but impressive piece is set to hypnotic, pulsating music.
Presented by Sony Music Entertainment with Brisbane Festival, Afterglow is a dazzling but reflective experience that all ages can enjoy (although the website says it’s recommended for ages 5+). It’s also wheelchair-accessible. Brisbane Festival artistic director Louise Bezzina describes it as “a slow-burn experience, an invitation to deliberately and respectfully engage with the artistry and power of fire”.
“Meditative” is definitely an apt description of the whole experience, which feels like a visit to a living outdoor art gallery.
Entry to Afterglow starts at 5.45pm and goes at 15-minute intervals to stagger the numbers until final entry at 8pm or 8.30pm, depending on the day. It’s best to take your time and spend about 90 minutes walking the circuit, away from the bustle of the nearby city streets.
Afterglow continues until September 27.