Badu Gili Healing Spirit Illuminates the Sydney Opera House

Badu Gili: Healing Spirit marks the second year of a creative partnership between the Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain, the Biennale of Sydney and the Sydney Opera House, illuminating the structure’s iconic sails nightly with the work of celebrated First Nations artists.

Badu Gili – meaning ‘water light’ in the language of the traditional owners of Bennelong Point, the Gadigal – explores rituals and the bonds of cultural and familial connection forged through art and storytelling. Featuring the work of the late Bidjigal elder Esme Timbery and two of her children, Marilyn and Steven Russell, and artist Joseca Mokahesi Yanomami of the Yanomami people in the Amazon, it represents a poignant activation of one of Australia’s most important cultural destinations.

Conceived as an homage to their mother, Marilyn and Steven’s series of visuals is set against the backdrop of the ocean.

Conceived as an homage to their mother, Marilyn and Steven’s series of visuals is set against the backdrop of the ocean. Featuring delicate shellwork – a tradition associated with the Indigenous community of the south-eastern Sydney suburb of La Perouse – glittering blues and marine life, and prints representing the enduring passage of generational artistic practice, the projections explore the deep spiritual connection between a mother, her family and their Country.

“As a family, we are so proud and grateful for this opportunity to shine a spotlight on Mum, known as Aunty Esme to the broader community. She taught us the beauty of our heritage and shared with us her incredible talent for shellwork,” says Marilyn and Steven. “For us, Badu Gili represents the pinnacle of her artistic career and honours her strength, creativity and the way she continues to inspire us every day.”

“Healing Spirit is a journey of connectivity and caring through culture,” says curator Tony Albert. “From the fresh water deep in the Amazon rainforest to the crashing saltwater waves at La Perouse, we are all connected.”

Mokahesi Yanomami’s series of visuals reference the forests and rivers of the Yanomami. Vivid colours and earthy tones illuminate the sails, enlivened by drawings of butterflies, jaguars and the traditions of Mokahesi Yanomami’s people, including a shamanic curing ceremony – a ritual performed when community members fall ill – and glimpses into Yanomami cosmology.

“Healing Spirit is a journey of connectivity and caring through culture,” says curator Tony Albert. “From the fresh water deep in the Amazon rainforest to the crashing saltwater waves at La Perouse, we are all connected. I believe Badu Gili showcases the absolute best of Indigenous art in a growing movement recognising the way in which our stories, art and culture continue to resonate in the most impactful of ways.”

The spectacular six-minute projection is a free experience that runs every night, six times after sunset, until December 2025.