Returning for its 11th year in a row, the festival showcases the world’s best light artists, music makers and brilliant minds as the Harbour City is transformed into a colourful creative canvas for 23 days and nights.

A feature among the stunning light installations, Bonello’s ‘Ballerina’ will depict a shimmering image of a dancer who seems to move along the harbour in a cyclical ballet.

The ballerina of light performs steps and pirouettes in an eternal solo, matched to a looping soundtrack.

This metaphysical artwork strives for transcendence through its sequence of photographic depictions.

“[The] ballerina becomes the metaphor of the dream of all children who through movement and art aspire to reach infinity,” Bonello said in an interview with La Fiamma.

He described the work as recounting “a dream, an action which, although not indispensable, is sometimes necessary, and is so necessary as to make itself indispensable”.

The artwork recalls an earlier work of Bonello’s, ‘Run Beyond’, which was similarly realised in light as part of the Amsterdam Light Festival.

In that work, a figure is running and jumping in a so-called “leap for freedom”.

Bonello said that both pieces are “metaphors of determination, perseverance and courage beyond the ordinary”, qualities which all of us seek in a contemporary world.

Light has always captured Bonello’s interest, although he began his artistic career in figurative art, painting and theatre.

He was born in Turin, where he had a troubled childhood, characterised by family conflict which pushed him to commence his later extensive and worldwide travels.

It was in Turin, however, that he was taught the intricacies of painting and sculpture by Impressionist artist Sergio Manfredi, when he was still a child.

Later, he learned the abstract and conceptual arts from Antonio Carena, before landing on the shores of Techno-Art with the artist Piero Gilardi.

Bonello’s explorative travels took him to roam through forests and climb mountains, as well as live in eclectic cities worldwide such as Beijing, Bogota, Dubai and Rio de Janeiro.

In 1997, Bonello settled in Rome “accidentally”, something which he claims to have been his “biggest artistic and commercial mistake... but sometimes things just happen”.

In Rome, Bonello formed the creative KitonB Project, in collaboration with Alberta Nunziante.

KitonB workshops and produces spectacular shows which thrill people world-wide, including ‘Carillon – The Flight of Time’, a 3D spectacular of dancer-acrobats, which crosses the epochs and cultures of all people.

The large-scale nature of the work and its use of light recalls the majestic experience of Vivid, for which Bonello is very excited.

He admitted that he hopes to bring some of KitonB’s productions to Sydney soon, although with the exhibition of ‘Ballerina’ he will have finally completed a cycle.

“With Australia I can say that I have created and brought my projects in the five continents,” Bonello said contentedly.

“I started my career living in the woods around Europe, without a home, without money to buy food, and if it is true that the value of things is not judged from where you arrived but from where you started… Then Australia represents for me having fulfilled that jump [which is depicted in ‘Run Beyond’].”

With ‘Ballerina’, Bonello extends his practice beyond the earthly realm, through an ethereal white light which dances by the water of the Harbour City.

Angelo Bonello’s ‘Ballerina’ will be on display alongside other light installations, contemporary music performances and public talks as part of Vivid Sydney 2019, which runs from May 24 to June 15.

Head to the Vivid Sydney website for more details.