There's a Buddhist analogy for a map of human consciousness called Indra's net. Imagine a large net with encrusted jewels at certain intersections speckled across the webbing where special bonds or memories or moments of particular magic illuminate or spark and throw some light wattage out across space, on and on -

Last weekend's Gleem Festival had a little of the Indra's net quality to it; small glowing satellites lighting a perfect late summer evening and set in the parkland that lies hidden behind the huge corrugated iron and concrete remains of the former wine-making plant at Corban Estate.

Image: Tessa Chrisp's The Wildflowers won the People's Choice Award at Gleem Light FestivalThere's a Buddhist analogy for a map of human consciousness called Indra's net. Imagine a large net with encrusted jewels at certain intersections speckled across the webbing where special bonds or memories or moments of particular magic illuminate or spark and throw some light wattage out across space, on and on -

Last weekend's Gleem Festival had a little of the Indra's net quality to it; small glowing satellites lighting a perfect late summer evening and set in the parkland that lies hidden behind the huge corrugated iron and concrete remains of the former wine-making plant at Corban Estate.

Image: Tessa Chrisp's The Wildflowers won the People's Choice Award at Gleem Light FestivalUnlike fireworks displays that are glamorous and over quickly, Gleem was a twisting trail of smaller, more subtle, lightworks: a floating sea of tiny luminous hands under a tree (Tessa Chrisp), a small ornate tepee lamp set amongst a glade of trees; a video image of yourself as you walked by on a track above projected onto a stream bed below (Angela Main); three Mini Cooper cars all rigged with sound scapes from outer space travel (Raewyn Turner); a sea of smiling strangers, lying heads together underneath Janine Randerson's floating suspended half-orb that displayed projections from above.

Most people came to see Stalker, the ladder trapeze and stilt performers. Maybe I'm spoilt but Stalker was a slightly tired spectacle that night, but it didn't matter cause the crowd was already happy on a perfect evening, the music was ambient and mellow and during their performance there were some interesting counter notes; while Stalker were pulling out all the gravity-defying features of their repertoire someone nearby was quietly digging a very organised, neat and tidy trench in the dark (Mark Harvey). Other fingers were digging also because as the crowd moved away the Gleem crew discovered that around 90 special light units set into the grass in front of the stage had been carefully inched out and removed.

Later Axis of Weevil did a very cool set. And so did Pitch Black. But the beauty of Gleem for me was like finding glowing mushrooms in the desert in Australia once. My friend and I spotted this weird pink glow and we moved tentatively towards it - a kangaroo came rushing out of some trees and then ran off. Our hearts were beating when we discovered the innocence of these little fungal forms with a skin of phosphorescence. Actually there was nothing scary about Gleem, there were a lot of happy people wandering through a tall oak forest on a stream bed at night - some hollow trees lit from within, coloured wire lamps dangling from others, light totems, kite lamps, lots of interesting shadow play. Lots of people meeting and making friends in the dark. An interactive screen work where you could move your hands across a 3D screen and cause patterns to erupt on another screen behind you. There was film and music videos, and capoeira and poi performers. A whole array of small intersections of illumination. Not to mention a vivid starscape overhead.