As a Torontonian, I have been attending Nuit Blanche since Grade 10. I am now in my fourth year at UofT—one could say I’m a Nuit Blanche veteran. Since my first walk-about through the city, when I was 14 years old, Nuit has changed considerably.
Each year the event seems to be getting larger. There are over 110 exhibits and installations this year, which include over 400 Canadian and international artists. Additionally, the crowd that partakes in this event has reached over 1 million people.
Some words of advice about this event (of course you don’t have to listen to these, but please follow #5. That is all I ask):
- It’s wise to head into Nuit with a loose game plan of where you want to go so you’re not wandering around aimlessly all night.
- You should know you won’t be able to see everything you had planned and your group of friends will inevitably separate. Don’t try to hold on to more than four people, and always make sure you have a partner the entire night!
- Remember that when you see huge swarms of people, it doesn’t necessarily mean they are heading towards an exciting exhibit. The sea of people can be fun and provide a shot of energy, but the crowds can become overwhelming and frustrating, especially when you’ve been walking in the cold for hours. You’re there to hang with friends and see some cool/pretentious art, not have drunken teens scream in your ears—unless that’s your scene. Whatever you want, man!
- It’s important to keep warm and find exhibits and installations that are indoors. Grab a hot chocolate or coffee at any of the cafes that are still open. You can also chill and drink a beer at one of the bars open until 4 AM (which should just be the normal last call time?). Locations with an asterisk are indoors!
- AVOID DUNDAS SQUARE AT ALL COSTS. Trust me.
Here is a list of the four main exhibits and the top installation picks for each one:
HTUOS/HTRON
This series is curated by Agustin Perez Rubio and includes 12 projects along College Street to Carlton and Jarvis. The overall theme for this series focuses on the inversion of geographical spaces. North will become south (and vice versa), and time will run from west to east. The goal is to “subvert the established spatial and temporal reigning hegemony order.” Right on, Mr. Rubio.
*Night Flight: Located at the MaRS Discovery District, Canadian artist Michel Snow and Argentinian filmmaker Claudio Caldini will display a video installation that will see Caldini travel from Buenos Aires to Toronto. Sounds boring, but it’s rumoured to be amazing—have a little faith!
*Zero Hour: Located at the Public Studio (close to Queen’s Park) renowned artist, Etel Adnan—Lebanese essayist, painter, poet, and philosopher—will create a collaborative piece from a newly commissioned poem, “set to a video projection on a dome, of current weather patterns and climactic disturbances taking place in the southern hemisphere.” Perfectly trippy.
Black and White Night
The Internationally acclaimed artist JR will have the first artist exhibition around City Hall and along Bay Street. Most of the work will be interactive installations that aim to bring together Torontonians to create a strong sense of community..
Inside Out: This installation has been shown at various cities across the world. It is an interactive installation that will be located at Nathan Phillips Square. People can participate in the installation by sending in portraits to the organization, with the possibility of having their image displayed along with thousands of others, at Nathan Phillips. To see how you can become involved, click here: http://www.insideoutproject.net/en/participate
“Park Here”: Toronto architect and artist Katy Chey transforms the “Park Here” signs into signage for city parks and green spaces as opposed to parking spots for cars. She will also be transforming part of the Nathan Phillips Square parking lot into a park-like space.
The Work of Wind
Curator Christine Shaw displays 13 projects that will expose the 13 Beaufort wind forces (for all you humanities kids out there, the Beaufort scale is how we measure wind speed) along the Waterfront between Parliament Street and the Harbourfront Centre. This series will draw from the natural world and extreme geographic environments.
Beaufort 4–Lave Field No. 2: American-based artist Robert Wysocki is creating a geomorphically accurate lava field using “customized coke-fired cupola generating temperatures towards 1800 C.” That is insane and probably the closest we will ever get to actual lava, so why not check it out?
*Beaufort 12, Black Cloud: Head inside the Power Plant Gallery to see Carlos Amorales’s installation of over 30,000 black paper moths hanging from the walls and ceiling.
10 for 10th-Memory Lane
Che Kothari curates this exhibit, which features ten projects that are co-produced by Toronto in partnership with ten of Toronto’s cultural centers and organizations. The installations will explore the power of memory and celebrate past memories of Toronto life and culture.
Shoes that Line the Lane: Located at the Bata Shoe Museum, this installation by Toronto artist Cyril Williams allows you to participate in the exhibit. Bring an old pair of shoes—with laces—you wish to donate and hang up to celebrate an important memory or person.
*Anciently Heard: Toronto artist Mani Mazinani will explore the connection between ancient forms of creative expression and contemporary hip-hop through an intricate sound installation at the Gladstone Hotel.
*An Occasion, hosted by Isabel Lewis: Berlin-based artist and dancer Isabel Lewis is creating a multi-sensory art party in the Walker Court section of the AGO. Could this place get any cooler?!
Featured Independent Exhibit
Ravetapes: The Garrison concert hall will be hosting an intergalactic, interactive, dance-music experience. Need I say more? Get those dance shoes back from the Bata exhibit and boogie into the early hours of the morning!
