In a mostly unremarked spot in the Royal Botanic Garden, close to the waters of Farm Cove, there is a small but poignant monument.

"For Forgotten Australians" reads the title on the modest plinth, referring to the 2004 Senate report into children who suffered in institutional care.

"We remember the lonely, the frightened, the lost, the abused – those that never know the joy of a loving family, who suffered too often at the hands of a system meant to provide for their safety and wellbeing," continues the inscription.

When designer James Feng came across the spot he was deeply moved and resolved to shine a light on it – quite literally – with his entry into the competition for Vivid designs.

"The area was quite overgrown and I felt some sort of moral responsibility to design an installation that would revive and activate that part of the gardens," he says.