The concept of Nuit Blanche is well suited to the diversity of Toronto. The three zones chosen to showcase art offer different themes representing their neighbourhood's characteristics. For example, Zone B, which comprises the Financial District, offered spectators a chance to witness local (and somewhat famous) Torontonians playing a live game of Monopoly with real money.
Although I was intrigued by this idea, along with an installation featuring a pool of vodka in Commerce Court (a reflection of the intoxicating power of the high life?) I chose to stick to Zone C.
It's quite difficult to navigate through all three zones in the course of 12 hours, especially while bumping into old friends, drinking and dancing so I figured that one zone would be enough.
Zone C, which was sponsored by Heineken, offered tours taking place in Liberty Village which proved to be a wonderful way to see and makes sense of the art installations. The theme was "Urban Disaster/Catastrophe/Survival Actions" which I found quite fitting for an area of town with "Liberty" in its moniker.
I particularly enjoyed "Bicitycle" or "Bike City" an interactive mobile installation from Japan. The artist was inspired by the lifestyle, innovation and survival skills of homeless people. By attaching recyclable materials and natural resources to the backs of bikes, spectators were invited to ride around and feel what it would be like to bring their necessities with them wherever they went.
I was also extremely impressed by "A Sultry World", another exhibit from Japan, featuring a young woman dressed in a huge scarlet skirt that enveloped the warehouse in which we were standing (in awe). The stark contrast between the white walls and deep red dress was startling.
We were invited to crawl underneath the dress and discover the sensory chamber created in the three meter high space from the stool that the woman was sitting on. In this peaceful alcove, we took turns writing our thoughts in books that were placed on red velvet pillows.
The woman, to my surprise, was wearing army pattern underwear. I assumed that she'd be wearing red velvet lingerie, to match her flowing dress. Then I read the artist's statement and learned that this exhibit was inspired by a friend who contracted HIV. Perhaps the army motif was a sign of defense against the unknown and a symbol of protection from the vulnerability of being a woman.
The Apology Project, from Maria Legault of Toronto, was a cool concept, with 55 people wearing large paper bags over their bodies, crowding a hallway and bumping into people while saying "I'm sorry."
Waiting in line to enter the hallway, I felt like I was gearing up for a game of Red Rover. Unfortunately, the aggression that I was expecting turned out to be nonchalant chants of "I'm sorry". No one actually tried to block me from passing. It was all a bit too easy and lost the effect I was hoping for. The exhibit was supposed to be a reflection of passive aggressive behaviour and comment on the Canadian custom of constantly apologizing. Maybe that's why I was disappointed; the exhibit was too accurate - Canadians really are passive citizens, or at least the 55 chosen to participate were.
Fortunately there were caldrons of hot chocolate and lamb sausages courtesy of Jamie Kennedy to keep the communal spirit of exploration burning. The exhibit "Fire and Sausage: Small Mercies" which was found throughout Liberty Village, tried to create a post apocalyptic environment, in which to count our mercies and share the surplus. There was a definitely a calm aura that descended over those who were sitting on the communal benches sharing blankets and stories.
Finally, we ended our tour by creating our own art in the Heineken Lounge on a digital graffiti wall. Here's my final creation:
Good times indeed! Every year Nuit Blanche gets bigger and better and I can't wait to see what 2010 will bring. Check out this amazing video featuring 10,628 photos from Zone C, which I found on Fotografic Memory's Vimeo page.
Check out this
Toronto's White Night - Nuit Blanche [Zone C] from Fotografic Memory on Vimeo.
">amazing video featuring Zone C in 10, 628 photographs, posted on Vimeo by Fotografic Memory.
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