Wednesday, October 02, 2019

Nuit Blache Toronto 2019

Nuit is near! The all night art festival starts this Saturday, October 5 from Sunset (7pm) and continues till sunrise (7am). One sleepless night with a curatorial theme of Continuum. Some of the extended projects will be on display until October 14. The turquoise sands of Lunar Garden wait for Nuit to begin raking the Japanese Zen gardens, illuminated by a large nearby moon in the photo at top.
"Nuit Blanche Toronto creates significant artistic and cultural energy in our city. By making a wide spectrum of contemporary art accessible and enjoyable for everyone, it is as much a celebration of our diversity as it is a showcase for the creativity of our talented artists. I encourage Toronto residents from across the city to take part in this celebration of art." - Mayor John Tory
Life of the Earth by Director X. City of Toronto photo

Works will continue to be exhibited in Scarborough while more neighbourhoods will join the roster of the 14th annual Nuit exhibition locations. Nine major areas will be available for exploration as part of the official Nuit Blanche program; Scarborough (20 projects), Don Mills (four projects), Danforth East (two projects), Bloor Yorkville (nine projects), Waterfront (11 projects), Downtown (16 projects), Sterling Road (six projects), West Queen West (five projects) and Fort York (15 projects). To help you get around the TTC will be running an all-night subway service so you can try your best to see the 90 contemporary art projects from over 300 artists. A map, washrooms, food vendors and first aid services will also be available at Toronto City Hall, Nathan Phillips Square, Yonge-Dundas Square and the Scarborough Town Centre.

Here are some facts about some of the art installations along with extended showings of some of the Nuit Blanche exhibits.

- 3,500 bells as part of a sculptural and performance installation offering the experience of slowing time, space and the senses (Ephemeral Artifacts by Anandam Dance theatre and Brandy Leary, sponsored by Scarborough Town Centre).

- 3,000 sashes, each part of an infinitely repeating poem, given to the public to circulate throughout the night
(Death by Committee - On and on and on and on by Death by Committee)

- 406 pounds of plastic waste pulled from Toronto waterways reused to create a polar bear sculpture (Poly by Josh Jaikaran, Dave LaGrotta, Katrina Salvador and Ryan Smith)
Everyone Wants a Free Baby! by Studio F Minus. City of Toronto photo

- 36 "babies" launched from a canon into the sky, gently parachuting into the crowd (Everyone Wants a Free Baby! by Studio F Minus)

- 24 coffins adorned by former artist-tenants transformed the audience into a funeral procession (Eulogy for the Coffin Factory by Lake Effect Projects)

As part of the Nuit Blanche Toronto Extended Projects program, supported by the Government of Ontario, eight projects will remain on display beyond October 6:

- Lunar Garden by Daniel Arsham, until October 12
In the largest Japanese-inspired garden he’s ever created, Daniel Arsham brings the moon to downtown Toronto—along with his iconic brightly coloured sand and sculptures.
Location: Nathan Phillips Square, 100 Queen St. W.

- Ephemeral Artifacts by Anandam Dancetheatre and Brandy Leary, until October 13
This sonic, sculptural and performance installation offers the experience of slowing time, space and the senses. The dancing bodies of Scarborough are honoured here.
Location: Scarborough Town Centre, Centre Court, 300 Borough Dr.

- Scarborough Royalty by Durothethird, until October 14
In a tribute to his hometown, Durothethird makes royalty of everyone in this immersive installation combining graffiti with sculpture.
Location: Albert Campbell Square, 150 Borough Dr.

- Tepknuset by Jordan Bennett, until October 14
A new sculptural work by an award-winning artist reflects on Mi’kmaq visual culture to depict narratives around land, home and our place in the universe.
Location: Albert Campbell Square, Galleria Level, - 290 Borough Dr.
(outside Scarborough Town Centre RT station)

- Reconnected STC by Mark "Kurupt" Stoddart, until October 14
This project reconnects the local community with some of its many extraordinary individuals.
Location: Pathway between TTC and Scarborough Town Centre, 300 Borough Dr.

- Stronghold by John Notten, until October 20
This immersive experience repurposes common objects to explore the fort as an archetype of power and privilege.
Location: Fort York National Historic Site, 250 Fort York Blvd.

- Hoarding by Gareth Lichty – until October 20
Vast amounts of hazard tape wrap the pillars of the Bentway, creating a monumental, immersive installation that becomes animated in the wind.
Location: Bentway East, 250 Fort York Blvd.

- Life of the Earth by Director X, until January 5, 2020
Director X returns with his thought-provoking Life of the Earth, a follow-up to his monumental Death of the Sun, which wowed crowds at Nuit Blanche 2016. Life of the Earth is created in partnership with the Ontario Science Centre.
Location: Ontario Science Centre, 770 Don Mills Rd.
Road closures to accomodate Nuit Blanche will be necessary for the following locations.

• Bay Street between Dundas Street West and Adelaide Street West from 8 a.m. Saturday, October 5 until noon on Sunday, October 6.
• Queen Street West between Yonge Street and University Avenue from 4 p.m. Saturday, October 5 until 10 a.m. on Sunday, October 6.
• Fort York Boulevard between Ianuzzi Street and Fleet Street from 4 p.m. Saturday, October 5 to noon on Sunday, October 6.
• Borough Approach East between Borough Drive and Ellesmere Road
• Borough Drive between Brian Harrison Way and Town Centre Court
• Town Centre Court from south of the City of Toronto parking lot to Borough Drive

City of Toronto Nuit Blanche exhibitions and Nuit Talks are as noted in the Toronto news release:

"Creation: Destruction curated by Layne Hinton and Rui Pimenta (Toronto), is located in the Fort York neighbourhood. Inspired by its geographical area, this exhibition will challenge our understandings of creation and destruction. Artists include Max Dean and Jared Raab (Toronto), Kim Morgan (Halifax, Nova Scotia) and Kaitlyn Bourden (Bowmanville, Ontario), and Jonathan Schipper (Ellenville, New York), among many others.

Queens and Kings of Scarborough curated by Ashley McKenzie-Barnes (Toronto), is located around the Scarborough Centre neighbourhood. This exhibition confronts systems of social marginalization, self-identity negotiation, and racial stereotyping within a modern framework. Artists will include Ebony G. Patterson (Chicago), Kent Monkman (Toronto), Jordan Bennett (Terence Bay, Nova Scotia), Hatecopy (Toronto) and more.

Lunar Garden created by Daniel Arsham (New York) and sponsored by Shiseido, is an installation that will be located at Nathan Phillips Square. This large-scale project re-interprets a traditional Japanese Zen garden with colour, sculptural casts and a musical score by Charlotte Day Wilson (Toronto) offering a fully immersive experience.

Partner-produced and special projects
Created by individual artists, producers and organizations, and cultural and educational institutions, the partner-produced Independent Projects portion of Nuit Blanche features 48 projects celebrating the diversity of Toronto's art communities.

Fifteen major institutions across the city will feature art projects and exhibitions free to the public throughout the night of Nuit Blanche. The participating institutions are 401 Richmond, Aga Khan Museum, Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), Artscape Launchpad, Bata Shoe Museum, The Drake, East End Arts, The Gladstone, Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto (MOCA), OCAD University's Onsite Gallery, Harbourfront Centre, The Power Plant, Toronto Biennial of Art, Toronto Sculpture Garden and Royal Ontario Museum (ROM).

Art projects commissioned with partners and sponsors: HXOUSE, the Bentway, Cadillac Fairview – CF Toronto Eaton Centre, Oxford Properties-Scarborough Town Centre, Concord Adex, Toronto Arts Council, MLSE's Toronto Raptors and the Ontario Science Centre bring new perspectives to familiar locations and institutions while emphasizing relevant and timely global issues.

• Life of the Earth (multimedia installation) by Director X is being created in partnership with the Ontario Science Centre. The installation shows the earth, as if seen from space, drastically changing from Pangaea to present time and to the future beyond humankind. This large-scale 360 projection will be on view alongside Death of the Sun, which was commissioned by Nuit Blanche Toronto in 2016.

• Peace to the Past, Reach for the Future (sculpture) by Bryan Espiritu and Esmaa Mohamoud is being created in partnership with MLSE's Toronto Raptors. The artists reflect on the team's past and imagine its future while connecting to the diverse communities which continue to shape both artists and athletes.

• On Thin Ice (sculptural installation) by Ghost Atelier is being created in partnership with HXOUSE for Yonge-Dundas Square. The installation brings the audience inside the deep crack in the glacier and serves as a physical reminder of the state of the planet, while emphasizing the importance of bearing witness.

Nuit Talks
Now in its 10th year, Nuit Talks provides the opportunity to examine and showcase the art, artists and concepts involved in Nuit Blanche, featuring engaging talks, roundtable discussions and one-on-one interviews. Admission is free. This year's Nuit Talks is presented in partnership with the University of Toronto Scarborough and the Doris McCarthy Gallery.

The Nuit Talks program will include these presentations:
• Art, the City Builder: curators Layne Hinton, Rui Pimenta, with artists Francesca Chudnoff and Max Dean, September 18, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., The Bentway
• Art, the Mirror: Director X, September 25, 7 to 8 p.m., Royal Ontario Museum
• Art the Maker: Ebony G. Patterson, October 2, 7 to 8 p.m., OCADU Auditorium
• Art, the Storyteller: RISE, Jalani Morgan, Emelie Chhangur, Mark V. Campbell, October 3 from 7 to 8 p.m., University of Toronto Scarborough
• Art the Maker: Daniel Arsham, October 4 from 7 to 8 p.m. Art Gallery of Ontario
• Art, the Entrepreneur: Mark Stoddart, Durothethird, MEDIAH, Hatecopy, Rania El Mugammar on October 5 from 5 to 6:30 p.m., Scarborough Town Centre
• Art, the Opportunity: Ghost Atelier, Bekah Brown, October 10, 7 to 8 p.m., HXOUSE"

I could find no evidence that the anti-nuit event Les Rues Des Refuses will take place alongside the official Nuit Blanche program, which is too sad, however there will be a number of non-official events also taking place during the all-night art thing such as a silent disco in Graffiti Alley, a Tron lighting experience at Campbell House and a climate change exhibit at Denison Avenue and Queen Street West featuring a origami bear in a pool of oil.

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