After living in Toronto all these years I admit I’ve never been to one of the Nuit Blanche events… until now. This past weekend I took in just a few installations of this massive event – it was great! So many gifted and talented artists. Here’s a synopsis of the few installations I attended.
As with many of my posts, shots from the entire event can be found on my Flickr page (link at bottom of post).
Saputiit – Fish Weir Skate Plaza
Yonge-Dundas Square
Saputiit – Fish Weir Skate Plaza transformed Yonge-Dundas Square into an Indigenous space for skateboarders to flip and manipulate their boards.
Shapeshifter
Yonge Street Below Dundas
Shapeshifter is a series of sculptural works that expands the investigation into folklore, history, personal mythology, and how identity constantly fluctuates.
An Occupation
Queen Street West, Outside Saks Fifth Avenue
An Occupation is a participatory performance involving backup dancers, a giant inflatable, and karaoke celebrating the themes of Occupation/Labour/Work.
Good Tonight, Good Tomorrow with Johnnie Walker & NoPattern
Outside City Hall, Queen Street West
The installation by fine artist NoPattern in collaboration with Johnnie Walker is an exploration of pace. Colours travel around the screens at a slow and purposeful speed. There is a beautiful restraint in the movement that encourages viewers to come together and take a second to appreciate this moment of clarity.
Creepy Old Guy On Steps
Old City Hall, Queen Street West
I couldn’t find any description from Nuit Blanche on this performer, but he seemed to be enjoying what he was doing.
iskocēs: okihcitāw-iskwēw-kamik ohci (sparks/embers for the leading-woman-lodge)
Nathan Phillips Square
Beams of light converged at Nathan Philips Square to create the illusion of a luminous tipi. Under its glowing poles, artist Cheryl L’Hirondelle hosted 13 performances by musicians, poets, Indigenous knowledge keepers and other invited guests.
Untying Space
8 Adelaide Street West
Made with masking tape and adhesive vinyl, this abstract whorl envelops the Deloitte building at Bay and Adelaide.
Avataq
Yonge & Temperance Streets
This 30-foot silver balloon bobbed around at the intersection of Yonge and Temperance Streets. The work is in reference to a traditional Inuit hunting tool, a lure that’s usually made of sealskin.
The Dinner Table
Yonge and Adelaide Streets
An outlet and valuable source of social recovery, The Dinner Table explores collective celebration in a city with a thirst to rebuild connections and renew social identity. Participants showered the table with coloured (non-toxic, biodegradable) dust in a dynamic celebration to mark the many gatherings sacrificed over the last two years.
Yonge & Front Streets
Not sure what this installation was called, but the man was getting a selfie of himself and his dog.
CN Tower Projections
Transformed through video animations by three unique artists, the CN Tower acts as a beacon. Created by Indigenous artists Blackpowerbarbie, Caroline Monnet and Kereama Taepa.
Avataq
Yonge & Front Streets
A smaller version of the Avataq installation that was floating further up Yonge Street.
Blankets (Under) Cover
25 Queens Quay West, Harbour Square Park
By artist Shelley Niro, Brantford/Six Nations of Grand River. These stretched point blankets, imprinted with images of past Indigenous life, as well as contemporary Indigenous experience, ask the viewer to reflect on the histories embedded in these objects.
Mana Moana
25 Queens Quay West
Mana Moana is an artist-led collaboration between Māori and Pacifica visual artists, musicians, writers and choreographers to bring to life video through a water screen.
I came upon this by accident with a friend when it was under construction. At the time we said we…