The National Gallery has commissioned 100 Flowers Falling, a new projection and sound-based work by Lindy Lee, to illuminate the building’s exterior for the 2025 Enlighten Festival.

Cosmic imagery, colour, and ancient Chinese symbolism will merge across the National Gallery, celebrating both the transience of individual histories and their connection to a greater whole.

The projection is accompanied by an original score by Australian composer Lawrence English.

100 Flowers Falling brings to life the story of The True Ch’ien, an ancient kōan that explores the idea of embracing our humanity in all its complexity. A kōan is a Zen Buddhist teaching in the form of an open question, story or statement that Zen students meditate on to work through the paradoxes of existence.

The True Chi’en is a story about how to be true to oneself in the midst of a dilemma. It follows the life of a young woman and her deep inner conflict, between choosing who she loves and her duty as a daughter to her family. Through the story of The True Ch’ien we are invited to think about the role of choices in our lives.

On view daily, 8–11pm