Sydney’s Vivid is the highlight of the city’s calendar, with families packing into Circular Quay like sardines to catch a glimpse of the lights.
But this year, the family-friendly festival is facing some backlash after a Sydney mother took to social media to call out what she described as “trashy” and “sexualised” content projected directly onto the facade of the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA).
The Instagram video shows a building-sized projection of a woman clad in a cut-out leotard, gyrating and performing a stylised dance routine across the landmark sandstone architecture.
“Multiple women and men sexualised half naked on this building, while there’s family’s [sic] and children around … Yuck,” Lenny Sinclair posted online.
While another wrote, “The @vividsydney light festival is marketed as a family-friendly event. Some 2.5 million people — including kids — are expected to attend the NSW Government-run event between May 22 and June 13. Who thought it was a good idea to expose them to this?”
After only a few nights of projections, frustrated parents are arguing that when high-concept, avant-garde gallery art is taken out of a closed museum and mapped onto massive public infrastructure, the context is entirely lost on young families.
The social media post has quickly ignited a fierce debate online and among festival-goers, highlighting a growing friction point for Vivid Sydney as it evolves from a simple family light walk into a multidisciplinary contemporary arts festival.
While some parents on the crowded Circular Quay boardwalk agreed the projection felt misplaced for an early-evening crowd, others defended the installation.
“Yes, I was there with my family and came across this disgusting display of repulsive garbage. So in your face. So unnecessary and distasteful,” one mother responded on Instagram. “Definitely a Detraction at what was otherwise a very cool event. One has to wonder what the motive is to present this particular piece”.
Some were even driven to boycott the event altogether. “What is this??? Disgusting!!! I definitely won’t be attending Vivid now,” one user commented.
“I did see this, and I actually stopped … ‘Gabe, look at that!! This is so bad, kids are all around, this is a family event.’ It was disgusting in real life!” another onlooker wrote.
Another parent, who did not attend, added: “You’re not a prude. It IS sexualised content, and it’s being shoved in our kids’ faces. We know this world is morally corrupt, but please, can we just take our kids to see some nice lights?”
However, not everyone was outraged by the performance art.
“This crosses lines while kids look this stuff up so easily, as well… like I get it, kids shouldn’t be seeing this, but it’s not that bad, it’s just [a] girl dancing, plus kids walk past Mardi Gras all the time,” one parent countered.
“Why the fuss? I see someone dancing energetically. Stop projecting. Haha, you’ve become that person you used to laugh at. Oh, the children!!! Good grief,” another added.
The controversial display is part of Vaiola, a major commission by acclaimed Samoan-Australian contemporary artist Angela Tiatia, created in collaboration with the experiential studio Spinifex Group.
According to the festival’s official program, Vaiola, named after a river near the artist’s home in Samoa, meaning “water of life”, is a deeply personal exploration of “migration, longing, memory, and the female form”.
Tiatia’s work frequently uses performance art and cinematic language to challenge historical representations of Pacific women and body autonomy.
“For me, Vaiola is about the emotional currents and tensions between longing and belonging,” Angela Tiatia said of the work.
“During Vivid Sydney, when the city comes to life and invites locals and visitors alike into shared celebration, the work can unfold at a massive scale while still holding an intimate space for connection and reflection.”
Vivid Sydney and Destination NSW have heavily championed their partnership with the MCA as a cornerstone of the festival’s artistic credibility. However, organisers may face growing pressure to answer the question of whether building-sized, “provocative” performance art belongs in primary family viewing zones.
When asked to comment on the backlash, a spokesperson for Vivid Sydney told news.com.au that they acknowledge the community feedback but maintain that interpretations of contemporary art are subjective.
“Vivid Sydney is aware of community feedback regarding a visual element contained within the Vaiola projection at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA),” the spokesperson said.
“The work, by Samoan-Australian artist Angela Tiatia, at its core, explores themes of migration, memory, longing, belonging and beauty through the artist’s cinematic visual language. As with all contemporary art, interpretations may vary.”
The spokesperson defended the festival’s overarching curation, noting that the piece is just one small part of a much broader public experience.
“Vivid Sydney is a family-friendly festival that welcomes audiences of all ages and backgrounds, with a program carefully curated to showcase creativity, innovation and artistic expression. Vaiola forms part of the 6.5km Vivid Light Walk, which features more than 40 installations.
“Vivid Sydney is focused on delivering a world-leading festival experience in a safe, inclusive and welcoming environment for all audiences, and we acknowledge the feedback received.”
News.com.au has requested comment from Vivid, City of Sydney and the artist.
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