© 2020 Images of Cathy Freeman and Olympic Games All rights reserved by International Olympic Committee
Lighting the sails of Sydney
PROJECTION MAPPING | CULTURAL STORYTELLING
As the NFSA's client-side design lead, I worked with The Electric Canvas, Australia's foremost large-scale projection specialists, and signed off on the content direction that shaped what went onto the sails. I designed the event collateral, hired the photographer, and liaised directly with the Sydney Opera House to manage the relationship and the site.
The event celebrated both the 20th anniversary of Freeman's gold and a genuine world first: the NFSA had preserved the race footage on synthetic DNA, the first Australian video ever encoded this way and the first time DNA data storage had been used for moving image archival anywhere in the world.
The creative had to honour Indigenous and Olympic significance at the same time, translate a story about emerging archival technology into something emotionally true for a mass audience.
The sails of the Sydney Opera House lit up for one night to mark a world first: the first moving image ever preserved on synthetic DNA, and the first Australian video encoded that way.
Featured work
National Film and Sound ArchiveCultural Brand | Identity System | Design Lead
EquitableHeritage Brand | Modern Repositioning
NFSA PlayerStreaming Platform | Creative Direction | Launch
Adidas Co-Branded ApparelBrand Partnership | Experiential Retail
Wanderlust FestivalExperiential Brand | Global Festivals | Creative Direction
Wanderlust 108Festival Series | Creative Direction | Brand Experience
Visible LightVisual Identity | Research | Experimental Design
SidewaysPhotography | Visual Storytelling | Personal Work
AvisMobility Brand | Identity | Campaign
ABOUT
Madeleine Mary (She/Her)
A graphic designer and creative director with expertise in brand development, experiential design and photography.
I help organisations build audiences with visual storytelling and branding.
CONTACT
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© Madeleine Mary 2026