IS NUIT BLANCHE WORTH IT?

Exhibition Reviews | Mary Wallace

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Transformation by Fezz Stenton and Daniel Lanois (Photograph courtesy of Mary Wallace)

Full disclosure. I stopped going to Nuit Blanche a few years ago after a particularly poor experience and have not revisited it since. I found the crowded streets and party atmosphere more anxiety-inducing than enriching. However, for the sake of this review I thought I’d put the past behind me and give Nuit Blanche another chance. After all, how could hundreds of people spending their hard-earned Saturday night enjoying art be a bad thing? Here are some of the best and worst experiences Nuit Blanche 2019 had to offer.

Tile-Scape by Kevin Winn, Archer Pechawis and L.C.I. CyberARTS (Photograph courtesy of Mary Wallace)

Tile-Scape.1555 Danforth Ave.

I began the evening by visiting one of the Danforth’s two listed works. Tile-Scape, a collaboration between Kevin Winn, Archer Pechawis and L.C.I. CyberARTS, consisted of a long table of interconnected scrabble boards interrupted by hand-made recreations of the forest floor. Each participant was given a small bag of letter tiles and set loose to create words in amongst the leaves and roots. The experience is meant to remind the participant to think about the mark they leave on the earth and in their community. I was delighted to find that my fellow participants had not left any rude messages but instead put in the effort to create some interesting words, highlights included “BOBA_TEA”, “PUTRID” and the surely not scrabble dictionary approved but none-the-less evocative, “BADPAIN”.

Tile-Scape detail (Photograph courtesy of Mary Wallace)

Tile-Scape was a fun community art piece, that encouraged creative interaction between neighbours. While not as flashy as other installations, it had clear heart and effort behind it. This piece was definitely worth the visit.

Project GUNK. Bay and Albert St.

Project GUNK by Reza Nik and Matthew Davis (Photograph courtesy of Mary Wallace)

In the shadow of the larger piece in Nathan Phillips Square, Reza Nik and Matthew Davis’s Project GUNK might have been easy to miss, but by the time I had reached it there was already a line to view the installation. Outdoor artworks in the Downtown area were almost universally surrounded by metal barricades with lines outside to enter, not unlike rides at the EX. Once I had gotten through the line, I was ushered into a small area filled with found object sculptures. I examined them, a little unsure of what to think, since I had not been able to read the accompanying text panel without leaving my place in line. Once I had left the barricade pen, I was able to circle back and read the text. The sculptures were made from roadside trash found in each of Toronto’s 25 wards, as a way to find use for the discarded items the city produces.

I enjoyed the idea of Project GUNK and will keep an eye out for their work in the future but the experience was hindered by the limitations of Nuit Blanche’s display methods. I could see this idea working if the sculptures were larger or had been manipulated by the artists more. As it was, even for a self-described art lover, waiting in line to see artfully stacked patio chairs was a hard sell.

Transformation. 661 University Ave. MaRS Discovery District.

Transformation by Fezz Stenton and Daniel Lanois (Photograph courtesy of Mary Wallace)

Transformation by Fezz Stenton and Daniel Lanois was among the weaker pieces available at Nuit Blanche. Inside the building’s main lobby, mammoth blow up versions of plastic trash loomed over the crowd, all under the glow of a massive LED sun. The pieces were accompanied by video footage of activists and scientists explaining the reality of climate change and how important it is that we, the audience, take action. While I fundamentally agree with the idea of Transformation, standing next to large installations made of plastic, surrounded by hundreds of electric lights and LED screens, the message rang a little hollow.

The actual experience of Nuit Blanche as an event often undermines the enjoyment and understanding of the art. It’s hard to be inspired or moved by these heavy hitting topics when you are shuffling through a line as though you’re about to ride Space Mountain. The best way I can explain this feeling is through this photo I took in the MaRS building, in which futuristic glowing Lilly pads are plastered with hastily printed signs warning the crowd not to step on the art, lest it be ruined I suppose.

Transformation by Fezz Stenton and Daniel Lanois (Photograph courtesy of Mary Wallace)

Ultimately, the piece I enjoyed the most that evening was the smaller artwork in my own neighbourhood and I don’t think this is a coincidence. Nuit Blanche is at its best when it’s displaying accessible, community oriented art that gives audiences a new chance to engage with contemporary artists right in their own backyards. If you are considering going next year, my advice to you is the same advice I’d give for picking a restaurant: skip the major installations downtown and check out the independent projects in smaller neighbourhoods, where there are some hidden gems waiting to be found.