'Absolute ripper' inaugural Bokeh immersive sound and light exhibition held in Candelo village

Bokeh is a Japanese photography term that refers to the way a camera lens renders out-of-focus or blurry on points of light in a photograph and the event aimed to celebrate the special experience of light and dark during the winter months.

The event was hosted in the town during the evening of Saturday, June 11 and was well-attended considering the cool temperatures and gusty windstorm that really picked up as the sun set. People huddled in groups and gathered around the exhibits.

The exhibition was planned to run in 2021, however it had to be postponed due to COVID, so the whole project had been on the backburner for about 18 months. The delay only made attendees even more eager to check out the exhibition.

There were a wide array of light displays scattered around the park and projected onto the buildings on the main street of Candelo. Fairy lights also lit up the trees and unusual soundscapes coming from a local garage and the art gallery space next to the hall give the town an eerie but alluring atmosphere.

There were films projected under the main bridge on Eden Street, onto Sam's Caravan, on white sheets or buildings in the town. Some of the short films featured beautiful scenes from places on the Far South Coast or grabs of local people. Others were more abstract.

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President of the Candelo Arts Society Tamlyn Magee said she thought the event really surprised everyone and it drew in a different array people who weren't just from the usual "Candelo crowd". She said there were people who had travelled from places like Moruya and Eden to attend.

"It was an absolute ripper," she said. "It really surprised everyone how awesome it was, how immersive the spaces were and just the quality of the art and the music. It all came together so well."

The hall was an inviting place after a wander around to the various exhibits, with steaming hot curries made by Cowsnest Community Farm on offer. But the numbers must have been higher than expected because all eight pots of curry were sold out by around 7:30pm.

Those who missed out feasted on homemade cakes and tea until around 8pm when the Bega Sound Collective started their DJ sets. The dance party continued on well into the night with a well-stocked bar provided by the Candelo Arts Society.