Maser's Maze, 2015 Sydney Festival

A mysterious Irish street artist who goes by the name "Maser" has created a colorful playground and social media stage for the people of Sydney as part of the annual Sydney Festival.  Amidst the brilliant patterns and converging lines of Maser's Higher Ground, visitors are invited to interact with each other, with neighbors and strangers, and, by posting hash-tagged photos – #higherground, #sydneyfest2015 and #maser – the world.

Higher Ground is a compact labyrinth serving up an op art environment for exploration and phone photography.  It resembles a kaleidoscopic hall of mirrors -- except instead of reflections, the walls are covered with fields of clashing yellow and blue, red and turquoise.  Laid down in geometric patterns, the vibrating colors and converging lines give the spaces a disorienting character.

I will admit that at first this contemporary fun house was something of a disappointment to me.  After reading about its scale I expected more; Maser used six containers, plywood and staging to make a 3 story structure that covers 272 square meters of Hyde Park.  But as I spent time there, my sense of space and scale started to shift.  I watched laughing friends and pairs of lovers searching out the right spot to take their pictures, children rushing by intent on discovery, and families disappearing around corners.  Somehow the structure become engaging, expansive, and mysterious.

 This is in keeping with the Festival's description:  Maser's work "relies on you to bring it to life....part art installation, part photo playground, Higher Ground is a dream come true for those who always wished they could step inside a painting." 

Maser does not allow himself to be photographed, preferring anonymity.  But he welcomes the public's interaction through Facebook and Instagram: "'That's when I think the piece comes alive,' he says. 'I don't get to talk to the people face-to-face but I get to see their feedback via social media. That's quite fulfilling for me.'" (Sydney Morning Herald)

Higher Ground is a temporary public art piece commissioned by the 2015 Sydney Festival.