Nuit Blanche

[khris]

Nuit Blanche sure doesn't seem as popular on UT this year! Did anyone go? I didn't get to because of some unexpected issues I actually forgot it was tonight. I thought it was later in the month for some reason. Oh well! Next year I'll have to try again.

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

I did, photos later on Sunday. Left at 10pm, got home at 6:15am - time for bed!

It didn't seem near as busy this year as compared to previous years, although I only attended zones A and B.

Highlight: Telus Centre for the Performing Arts which was the 2nd site I visited early in the evening after the ROM's Vanity Fair Portraits (1913-2008) that was actually very good (my friend's pick, not mine). The Telus experience moved me to tears, the building itself plus the lobby and auditorium performances were spectacular. Truly spectacular. Every UT'er into architecture must see what they have accomplished here, they have done Toronto very proud.

 

[Urban Shocker]

1) Gardiner Museum Went to see Bigger Better More, the art of Viola Frey, but was told that gallery wouldn't be open until midnight, so I left. It rather defeats the purpose of an institution such as this taking part in Nuit Blanche if the only new things they've got on display are out of bounds half the night.

2) The ROM Walked past - nothing specifically for Nuit Blanche, just Vanity Fair Portraits, which I've already seen.

3) Royal Conservatory of Music Thoroughly enjoyed the performance of James Tenney's magical In a large, open space - vocalists on one of the balconies in new Koerner Hall and musicians stationed throughout the building. The acoustics at orchestra level are superb - but I was disappointed by how suddenly the sound drops off as soon as you're under the overhang of the balcony. Perhaps this is what Benc7 talked about in his review of the opening night gala?

4) City Hall The word was VAST. It didn't change, so I moved on.

5) Wasted Breath by Marcia Huyer - black plastic garbage bags in an alley. Wasted time.

6) NO by Santiago Sierra. No.

7) Scotia Plaza - Sounding Space. Lots of fun, like first year art school where we unlearned being adults and rediscovered childhood.

8) 205 Yonge Street - As Could Be by Paulette Phillips. Long line up. Didn't go in, though I had wanted to see this one. Love fog, love Tatlin, but it wasn't to be.

9) Massey Hall - Space Becomes The Instrument by Gordon Monahan. Wanted to see this one too, but the line ups were even longer so I didn't go.

10) Rabbit Balloon by Jeff Koons So many people taking photographs of it, and so much fun watching them taking photographs of it.

Took the 505 home after three hours on the town.

 

[SP!RE]

City Hall was amazing.

I felt like I was in 1984 by George Orwell or somewhere else that uses propaganda so powerfully.

I stood in awe of it several times last night/ this morning for awhile. The ethereal sound played suited it perfectly, and it just made for a sci-fi feel at the square.

The funniest thing everr was when a group of kids (definitely baked and whatnot) formed a line bowing down to and worshipping the word "MORE", and repeating the one word mantra "More!" over and over again. It became a spectacle and we were all laughing really hard but took photos of it, etc.

This was funny but proved to me the massive response that just a four letter word can create. It says alot about our society that when the word "MORE" came up, it got by far the most response.


-Bouncing Brides was also hilarious and cool.
-Liberty Village was a bit sparse but was fun to walk around as I've never spent time there prior
-the giant balloon work in the Eaton Centre gives an interesting view of space... and was just plain fun to look at
-What they did with the CN Tower was an awesome idea

Didn't get into Massey Hall, ROM, or RCM due to lineups.

 

[taal]

Seemed pretty busy to me ... it's really hard to compare to other years but lines at the large events were extremely long

 

[MatrixElement]

Nuit Blanche Pictures, October 3

I checked out the light display at Cityplace Panorama first, which was a bit underwhelming. Then a strange loom exhibit in Clarence Square, which didn't seem to be working yet. Then headed to Union Station and did the main loop up Bay to Bloor, across to Spadina, and down. The Financial District seemed packed to me, but I don't have a reference point to compare to other years. A section of Bay around Richmond or Adelaide had a small amusement park setup and was more crowded than say Taste of the Danforth, but quieted down a bit outside that area. PS it is amusing how reluctant people are to walk in the street even when it is closed to traffic, they still crowd on the sidewalk! There was a large lineup at the ROM around 11:30/midnight as I passed by. Also a parade of strangely painted mini cars on Bloor; not sure if it was related or not.

1. Union Station 1

http://www.flickr.com/photos/41002894@N07/3978740739/

2. Union Station 2

http://www.flickr.com/photos/41002894@N07/3978740947/

3. Galleria 1

http://www.flickr.com/photos/41002894@N07/3979502648/

4. Galleria 2

http://www.flickr.com/photos/41002894@N07/3979502878/

5. Crowd outside Commerce Court West

http://www.flickr.com/photos/41002894@N07/3979502218/

6. Commerce Court West

http://www.flickr.com/photos/41002894@N07/3978740161/

7. Bay Adelaide Centre, Arnell Plaza being well used

http://www.flickr.com/photos/41002894@N07/3979501748/

8. City Hall

http://www.flickr.com/photos/41002894@N07/3979502106/

9. Ryerson / Canadian Tire

http://www.flickr.com/photos/41002894@N07/3978740239/

10. Cityplace Panorama. Disappointing. The lights weren't nearly bright enough to make an affect, and it certainly didn't seem transparent or make me think of the safety of my home.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/41002894@N07/3978776665/

 

[urbandreamer]

The best: OCAD's cow pasture under the Sharp Pavillon.

The good: 734 Queen West laundromat

The bad: most of the art.

The amazing: ppl watching

The inspiring Toronto scene: getting out from the Subway at Dundas Square to be greeted by an absolutely crazy party/crowd--50,000 ppl here? Felt very NYC-ish indeed.

The icing on the cake: meeting a gorgeous girl and walking home with her!

 

[GraphicMatt]

I hit Massey Hall first, coming from the East, and only had to wait 40 minutes or so. When I walked by later, it looked the wait was approaching two hours or more.

It was pretty awesome, though. Probably my favourite of the night. Also liked the cage fighting at the bus station, the big rabbit, the amusement park on Bay and the sound parade behind Old City Hall.

The event continues to be a victim of its own success. The crowds were insane, and some of the line-ups ridiculous. I heard there were over 400 people in line to get into Trinity Church around midnight.

Next year, they need more open-air exhibits and less stuff that requires line-ups. I'd also recommend shutting down even more streets. Both Yonge and Queen were completely overwhelmed with pedestrians.

 

[jn_12]

We pretty much got to everything between Massey Hall and Union Station.

One thing we thought was, why wasn't the Harbourfront used? You'd think Harbourfront Centre, HtO Park, the Music Garden and Ireland park would be perfect spaces.

We waited in line for Massey at around 10:00 and got in at around 11. At first I was kind of let down, but it ended up being pretty good. Plus it was great just to be on Massey's Stage. The place looks tiny from that vantage point. Monopoly with Real money was okay, but when we were there the players weren't very enthralling and the city hall thing was kinda cool, but when we were there two of the rows of lights were out, so half the words being displayed were gibberish.

One problem I had with past Nuit Blanches is that they hype everything up and then you go and see it and it's a let down. This year they avoided the hyperbole, but I still find some of this stuff is so out there, that anyone could do it. In fact while waiting in line for Massey, me and my girlfriend came up with a dozen different "art" ideas that we could submit, that would have no real substance but still have that "whoa that's deep" feeling.

My girlfriend's dad is an artist for a living and paints (some examples of his work is here: http://kinnetikwebdesigns.com/NiagaraGallary/beard2.html ) and considering how realistic and nearly photographic those paintings are, and the skill level needed to do that, it's hard to appreciate much of this "out there" art where anyone could have come up with it.

 

[Tuscani01]

My favourites:

Union Station - The great hall was filled with fog, and the lighting created a really erie feeling. The sounds played through the hall were muffled and also echoed which was a cool effect. All this was going on while VIA ticket counters were still open. I was hoping to see the reaction of a traveler who had no idea what was happening.

Scotia Plaza - Someone else already mentioned how it brought out the child in every adult there, and it was great to witness.

RCM - The lighting was amazing! (too bad it isn't permanent) Sitting in Koerner Hall with your eyes closed was so relaxing.

Monopoly with real money - David Miller was the banker while I watched. Kyle Rae was also sitting in the room watching the game. It was nice to see the Mayor taking part in the events and he had quite a large audience. Everyone was commenting on the fact that David Miller was the banker. The man responsible for our tax dollars.

Letdowns:

Massey Hall - The line was TOO LONG! Im not waiting 2 hours.

The ROM - While it was nice to see it open this year, they could have opened more of it to the public. The could have at least brought in some cool lighting for the exterior of the building.

Liberty Village - By time I got there (walking because the streetcars were PACKED), I was too tired to walk around and see everything. I think they should have had that zone closer to downtown.

Surprises:

The ghosts behind City Hall were actually cool. I stood there for a while just listening to the words they were saying. They never got distracted and were all on key.

Panorama - Viewed it from Liberty Village and it looked amazing!

General comments: Problems from previous years have yet to be corrected. Sure the TTC extended hours, but the streetcars were completely useless because of traffic and the number of people on them.

Both Queen St. and Yonge St. should be closed for the entire night. There is no reason why they should stay open. Keep Queen open to streetcars and things would run more smoothly. I liked that Bay St. was closed downtown, but every cross street was still open which sort of defeats the purpose of closing Bay St. Drivers can put up with the inconvenience for one night.

It was nice to see more restaurants and shops open late in the night. This was one of my complaints from last year, and it seems like businesses have finally realized how great of an opportunity the night is for sales.

 

[urbandreamer]

N.B. 2009 Photos: the best of the best

#1: Alien invasion at OCAD

 

[Benc7]

This was the most FUN Nuit Blanche! I loved those floating, amorphous baby-things at OCAD. And that giant Bunny at the Eaton Centre was a hoot! RCM was an ethereal experience and a nice contrast to the cage wrestling at the Bus Depot. Hart House provided a comical moment; we were watching a video of two women banging their head against a wall and a young man next to us identified it as the "U of T experience". Bay Street should always have carnival rides; that was a blast! I wanted to see the "Dream Machine" at Trinity Church but the line to get in was incredibly long. Isn't that great! The words changing at City Hall provided enough light to see the thousands of people in the Square and on Queen Street. THAT was a memorable sight.

What a great evening!

 

[jn_12]

People actually thought that the stained glass window that faced the centre court at Old City Hall was the art. Everyone was taking pictures of it. It only helped cement how much of an asset we have in this building and how much potential it holds.

 

[Torontovibe]

I went to Trinity Church at 9PM, 1AM and then 3AM and the line up was crazy. On my way home at 6:10AM I figured nobody would be there, so I took a look and I was surprised to still see a line-up. It wasn't nearly as long, so I got in line and about 20 minutes later, I got in. After I got out, all I could think of was WTF, I waited in line for this? (people sitting in circles, on pillows, watching a flashing light and listening to weird sounds) After a few minutes I got out of there. I headed over to Massey Hall just in time to get in for the last show of the night, or should I say morning. Again, a line up and more waiting. (oh, my aching back!) More sitting on the floor, ouch, and more weird sounds.

In short, my Nuit Blanche experience was mainly about line-ups, flashing lights, weird sounds and thinking WTF, a whole lot. (and of course, PAIN)


That wrestling thing was the biggest disappointment, as I was there 3 times and didn't see any wrestlers. All I saw was a bunch of people standing around the ring blindfolded, doing nothing at all except jumping once in a while. What was the point of that? I heard much grumbling from the audience. I don't think anybody enjoyed it, and yes, we had to line up to get in. After all that time in line, I wanted to see some serious man-on-man action. Oh well, there's always next year.

 

[SunriseChampion]

City Hall was amazing.

I felt like I was in 1984 by George Orwell or somewhere else that uses propaganda so powerfully.

I stood in awe of it several times last night/ this morning for awhile. The ethereal sound played suited it perfectly, and it just made for a sci-fi feel at the square.

Exactly how I felt about it. I remember telling a friend that I'd like if that was a permanent fixture.


I then became equally enamoured of the CN Tower choreographed light show. Simple pleasures for simple minds. Mostly I think it was the music cause I love my downtempo but the lit-up CN Towere is always beautiful.

Watching Monopoly with Real Money where they had the whole table set up as with poker tournaments on tv. More fun that watching poker and odd enough to be quite interesting.

Missed the last bus to Durham, couldn't find any of these supposedly "open til 4am" bars, hated life til 630 but was glad to have made it out.

My single favourite artistic display of the night was not even an event-sanctioned artist but a kid playing chiptunes and manipulating the sounds live in front of city hall. Nothing beats 8-bit (showing my age, perhaps). I bought his CD.