Spectacular fireworks planned for the NYE

with fireworks  being fired off from Opera House sails.

NYE’s Master pyrotechnician Fortunato Foti is facing his biggest challenge yet this

Sydney New Year’s Eve – creating a complex Reg Mombassa artwork entirely from

fireworks for a special one-off cracker display.

Not only that for the first time in a decade even the Opera House will have

1,000 fire works fired off from its four sails ”“ another pyrotechnical challenge for

Foti.

Mombassa in signature absurdist style, showing the inside of his head buzzing

with a  constellation of stars, planets, the sun and the moon.

Mombassa said  Cranium Universe  created a great challenge for the pyrotechnics

team,  “Cranium Universe  refers to the fact that all the sights and sounds and words

and deeds of the known universe actually exist in our head,” Mombassa said.

“Our perceptions of reality may be a purely subjective mind film, endlessly projected on the bony screens situated at the rear of every cranium.

“But on New Year’s Eve we will attempt to objectify some of the larger elements

of the known universe, like the stars and the planets, by drawing and sculpting

them with fireworks.”

Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the  Cranium Universe  fireworks display would

delight the crowds during a special display at 10.30pm, between the 9PM

Family Fireworks and the world-famous Midnight Fireworks.

“Reg is one of Australia’s most talented and best-loved artists, so it’s going to

be a great moment to see his artwork come alive in fireworks above

Sydney Harbour,” the Lord Mayor said.

“For anyone who has wondered just what goes on his head, this is it.”

Mr Foti said Mombassa’s works were great to look at on paper, but challenging

to recreate in the sky.

“Reg Mombassa is incredibly creative, both artistically and musically, so we’ve

taken inspiration from his work and turned it into a fireworks display, which

has been a great artistic challenge,” Mr Foti said.

“It’s certainly been a big challenge, but we’re confident it’ll be an impressive display.”

This year the top secret Sydney Harbour Bridge Effect, which forms the

centrepiece of the 9PM Family Fireworks and Midnight Fireworks displays,

will also be twice as big as in previous years and will use new LED technology.

The effect, made up of 16-kilometres of rope light will be as tall as a 12-storey

building (36-metres) and 72-metres wide, with its lasting image remaining

top secret until midnight on New Year’s Eve.

The NYE13 fireworks displays are made up of seven tonnes of pyrotechnics,

which were loaded onto barges at White Bay, in Sydney’s inner west today,

ahead of Tuesday’s extravaganza.

The fireworks list includes 11,000 aerial shells and 25,000 shooting comets,

which will explode off seven barges spread across six kilometres of

Sydney Harbour.

The 12-minute Midnight Fireworks require a pyrotechnical crew of 45 people,

controlling 12 computers to launch the fireworks from 130 firing points on the

Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney Opera House and barges.