Nuit Blanche

[current]

I had a good time and I was glad to see MLG and Sam's sign one more time. One of my favourites was Stereoscope at City Hall and you can still see it every night until October 10 when it ends at 7 am:

Courtesey of GridSky at SSC:

Blinkenlights Stereoscope at City Hall...

http://www.youtube.com/v/jTZosieGhIQ&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&fs=1

 

[smuncky]

i just stuck to zone A this year. wanted to go check out my friend's installation in zone C but after waiting for the king streetcar for ~25min i had to leave to be somewhere else. the only thing that fasinated me was the set up at city hall. amazing work by the artists. everything else was meh but the main thing i love seeing is the city being packed with people throughout the night.

anyway, here are my photos from the night.

 

[Mustapha]

Thanks smuncky and digitalis; your pics are more than worthwhile to look at.

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

Interestingly, I've been noticing that Stereoscope continues at City Hall each night.

 

[climacus]

The Blinkenlights installation at the City Hall building is truly stunning. The city should consider commissioning a permanent installation of this project.

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

I found tonight that there is a free Stereoscope app. for iPhone & iPod Touch which simulcasts what is appearing on the windows of City Hall.

 

[digi]

The Blinkenlights installation at the City Hall building is truly stunning. The city should consider commissioning a permanent installation of this project.

But it's old, been done, and isn't in colour.

 

[JasonParis]

Another great Nuit Blanche for us. There's over a 100 pics here, so give it a minute to load...

We started in Zone A (downtown north of the CBD)...

"Ethereal Forest" - Toronto Nightless Collective (Church & Wellesley Village)

NOTE: Once again, the Village's Nuit Blanche contribution seemed to be more about "getting the street closed" than to showcase cool art. Still, it's always good to see Church sans cars.

"Without Persons, 2008" - Luis Jacob (Maple Leaf Gardens)

NOTE: I was in such awe being in MLG for the first time in 10 years that I forgot to take pictures of the art.

"Conversation #2, 2008" - Tom Bendsten (Macdonald Block)

NOTE: One of my favourites from this year's NB!

"Time-Piece, 2008" - Adam David Brown (Macdonald Block, Hepburn Block)

"Meeky: The World's Strangest Little Boy, 2004-2008" - Roy Kohn (University & Grosvenor)

Not Nuit Blanche, but still pretty cool. Sir Norman Foster's "pods" in the Leslie Dan Pharmacy Building at U of T.

"Waterfall, 2008" - Katherine Harvey (Ontario Power Generation Building)

NOTE: Pretty cool in person, but not so much on camera.

"A Dream of Pastures" - Mitchell F. Chan & Brad Hindson (AGO)

"Scintillator" - Leo Villareal (AGO)

NOTE: One of my favourites. Like many NB installations, it left me with the feeling of "why can't this be a permanent installation?" I think it nicely bookends John Street with the newly lit-up CN on the south-end and the new AGO on the top. It's also in the part of the expansion that will house modern art, so it seems completely appropriate.

OCAD lit-up for Nuit Blanche.

"Ultra Lime Arts / Cocoon Garden" - Jonathan Hibka, Margaret Krawecka, Heather Shute & Chris Mutton (St. Patrick's Market Square)

NOTE: Hillariously, when you'd shake the cocoons they'd play ad jingles like "happiness is Marineland!"

Looking west from above Queen Street at Nathan Phillips Square.

The corner of Queen & Bay from the elevated walkways at NPS.

"Stereoscope" - Tim Pritlove, Thomas Fiedler (Toronto City Hall)

NOTE: Another one that makes you think "why can't this be permanent?" It would fit nicely with the city's NPS plans.

"Into The Blue" - Fujiwara Takahiro (Toronto Eaton Centre)

NOTE: Not sure why everyone stood under this thing, but it sort of reminded me of an alien landing and the earthlings welcoming the UFO.

"Domaine de l'angle #2, 2008" - Sebastien Giguere, Nicolas Laverdiere, Jasmin Bilodeau (178 Victoria Street - alley behind Massey Hall)

NOTE: One of my favourites. Always great to see awkward and orphaned parts of the city be recontextualized in new ways.

"15 Seconds, 2002" - Daniel Olson (Dundas Square)

NOTE: Didn't really see the big deal, but maybe that's because I never got my 15 seconds of fame.

Not officially Nuit Blanche, but Sam's iconic sign got its final spin this evening. It is now being dismantled and will somehow be incorporated into the yet-to-be-built Ryerson building on the same site.

"Light Up The Night: Sitting Ducks" - Ryerson School of Interior Design (Devonian Pond a.k.a. "Lake Devo")

NOTE: I borrowed this picture from my friend Kim as there wasn't a duck to be seen when we went by this installation.

"Light Up The Night: Heaslip House" - Ryerson School of Fashion, Ryerson School of Image Arts, Ryerson School of Radio and Television Arts" (Heaslip House)

"House of Leaves, 2008" - Katherine L. Lannin (55 Gould St)

NOTE: This one had a big line-up that we couldn't be bothered waiting in, so I only got an outside view.

"Stock Extravaganza" - Robert Hengveld (65 Dundas St W)

NOTE: It was basically a nightclub in a T.O. garbage/recycling receptacle. Highly amusing.

"Four Sisters, 2007" - John Armstrong, Paul Collins (686 Bay St)

NOTE: Urban geek art. Loved it!

"Zombies In Condoland, 2008" - Jillian McDonald (College Park)

NOTE: Sort of fun for a minute, but in general it was a lot of waiting for a whole lot of nothing.

And then it was over to Zone B (financial district)...

"The Common and the Tense (A Sound Ecology), 2008" - Byron Kent Wong (Dundee Place Courtyard)

Not Nuit Blanche, but some pretty cool "Parking" font at Temperance & Sheppard.

"Business Class, 2008" - Magnetic Laboratorium / Marsiela La Grave (Parking lot at Temperance and Sheppard)

"Commerce Court, 2008" - Noam Gonick (Commerce Court)

NOTE: Sort of cool to hear the financially-corrupt commentary echo throughout the financial district.

"Toronto Nocturnes 1, 2008" - Ricardo Okaranza, San Sebastian (Brookfield Place)

NOTE: I really enjoyed this one, especially considering the very honest Toronto photography was taken by a pair of photographers from Basque Country, Spain.

"Horridor, 2008" - Kelly Mark (Union Station, York Street Councourse)

NOTE: One of the more memorable moments of the night and unfortunately this picture really fails to capture it.

"Earth & Sky, 2008" - Shuvinai Ashoona, John Noestheden (Pedestrian Teamway - York St, south of Front)

NOTE: Meh.

"Alternator, 2008" - Rita McKeough (Green P lot on the Esplanade, east of Yonge)

NOTE: Very poignant (OK, and it also reminded me of those table fountains at "The Oil Barons Ball" on "Dallas").

Then it was off to Zone C (Art & Design District, Parkdale, Liberty Village)...

"Overflow, 2008" - Michel de Borin (Former Prison Chapel - East Liberty St)

NOTE: Another one that I wish were permanent.

"Dandyberry" - Danny Shaddick, Rodrigo Marti (Metro Parking Lot - 100 Lynn Williams St)

Not sure if this was Nuit Blanche-sanctioned or not, but this was a travelling band that we caught on Lynn Williams St in Liberty Village. They were quite entertaining actually.

"Purified by Fire, 2006" - Matt Suib (Liberty Market Building & Toy Factory Lofts)

NOTE: Not quite as good as I was hoping.

"Sniff, Lick, Pinch, Nibble, Swallos..., 2008" - Noni Kaur (85 Hannah Ave)

NOTE: Not as good as the great name, but still pretty interesting to the senses.

Guerilla art? (85 Hannah Ave)

"Imagine Peace" - Yoko Ono (Liberty & Jefferson)

"I Promise It Will Always Be This Way, 2008" - Jon Sasaki (Lamport Stadium)

NOTE: Perhaps not the most "artisitc" of the installations, but a perfectly brilliant experience at 05:00 in the morning after a night of walking and viewing mostly serious art.

"Euphemisms For The Intimate Enemy, 2008" - Ruark Lewis (Mowat & Liberty)

NOTE: Awesome! Those are 550 x 55 gallon drums!

"Xibala, 2008" - Ulysses Castellanos, Faisal Anwar (Carpet Factory parking lot)

NOTE: I didn't get it, but it made for a good photo.

"Future (..._ _ _ ...) Perfect, 2008" - Brendan Fernandes (Parking lot b/w Mowat & Fraser, south of Liberty)

NOTE: A Morse Code themed installation made of shipping containers. Quite awesome, but didn't come out as well as I'd hoped in photos.

"Untitled, 2004-2005" - Shilpa Gupta (Dufferin St)

NOTE: I could never begin to explain this interactive computer-generated installation, but it was definitely a favourite of ours.

"Urban Voice Oscillator, 2008" - Mahan Javadi, Bruno Billio (135 Liberty St)

NOTE: A real departure for Bilio, however the "sabre" was apparently not working right by the time we got there.

"Smash! Droppin' Stuff, 2008" - The Custodians of Destruction (Parking lot north of Liberty, east of Fraser)

NOTE: I now know the appeal of monster truck demolition derbys.

And that's wrap!

P.S. We were in bed around 06:30.

 

[defence5]

Many thanks Darkstar416. I really enjoyed the pics.

 

[JasonParis]

I don't have time to link all my 2009 Nuit Blanche photos to Urban Toronto, but if anyone wants to see them feel free to check them out on my Flickr site here:

Nuit Blanche 2009

 

[canoehead]

A picture of the 2009 Nuit Blanche City Hall installation, for anyone interested.

 

[someMidTowner]

Alright, lets kick off the 2014 posts with this shot I took tonight of Global Rainbow by Yvette Mattern

Global Rainbow by Jack Landau, on Flickr

And another:

Global Rainbow (II) by Jack Landau, on Flickr

And here is the source of the beams:

Global Rainbow: Light Source by Jack Landau, on Flickr

 

[khris]

Those are awesome photos! Also the only cool thing I saw at Nuit Blanche this year. Last year I'll attend.

 

[Goldie]

Not sure if I understand this technique.
The beams are SPREADING OUTWARDS from BOTH the "source" and from the Tower.
How can that be?
Is there a simple explanation?

 

[someMidTowner]

The beams are being projected from the source and converging on the tower. A wide angle lens directly below the source makes the span seem much wider than what it looks like in reality. From most other locations in the city, the beams looked very closely clustered, with no discernible scatter.

Here is a search result for Global Rainbow on Flickr. It is a travelling installation, so you can see it in various locations around the world.

https://www.flickr.com/search/?q=global rainbow