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Nuit Blanche

I hope this thing won't descend to the level of becoming just another BIA-sponsored "cultural" festival like Buy Up The Danforth.

If that were to happen, promoting it as an arts event would be wholly fraudulent. People who rarely if ever visit galleries, theatres or exhibitions wouldn't be exposed to anything original or thought-provoking at all and would develop a very jaundiced view of what art is all about.

Excellent points US. The ROM being closed was also very unfortunate.
 
I believe the public pillow fights are original to Toronto though if I'm wrong, please correct me.


Ya, something like that that Toronto can ONLY come up with...

I guess it's ok to copy if you can do BETTER, not some half-ass job.
 
I agree there's a lot to improve upon. I just find it discouraging that some people have *nothing* good to say. If you let yourself be overwhelmed by negativity, you might as well just stay home.
 
If I'd been on my own I probably would've had time to catch most of the first choices that I missed - Non-Specific Threat, Deerparture, 2005, Ghost Station, Painters Eleven at Gallery Gevik, Architectural Posters at the Eric Arthur Gallery, the Wynick-Tuck exhibition, white line light, 2002 at the old police station, the big friggin' Locust, the INCURSION projection ... and several of the Queen West gallery shows. But even last year the crowds on Queen were huge, apparently.

There was substance, but so much dreck, unfortunately. They need a system in place next year to prevent bad art from happening to nice people. Crowds were lining up to get into one place on Beverley Street, and inside were some old guys serving drinks behind a bar - which wasn't an art installation.
 
I agree there's a lot to improve upon. I just find it discouraging that some people have *nothing* good to say. If you let yourself be overwhelmed by negativity, you might as well just stay home.

Couldn't agree more. I had a good time and was suficiently stimulated... I think my expectations were well managed.

I also didn't experience the commercialism that some spoke of. I did get a free espresso from starbucks though. :)
 
Crowds were lining up to get into one place on Beverley Street, and inside were some old guys serving drinks behind a bar - which wasn't an art installation.
Are you talking about the Surgical Penis Klinik? (My pet name for the Polish Combatants Association; y'know, their acronym SPK)
 
I find myself thankful I missed it last year. From the reports here, it seems most people (not all) who went with expectations were disappointed. For me, it was a wonderful night and I was lucky to have spent it with friends who struck a nice balance between criticism and optimism as we wandered the city, knowing we couldn't cover it all, but seeing how much we could fit in.
Although I think people on here are being way too hard on this year's event. In fact, I dare say many -- including Russell Smith -- are looking back a bit myopically at their virgin Nuit Blanche experience and are disappointed that it didn't seem as exciting this year. Well, it's sort of liking popping an E....your first will always be the most memorable. That's just the way it is.

Seriously though, I remember terrible art at last year's Nuit Blanche and horrendous crowds in parts, but somehow that's forgotten because it was the first (and therefore "best") in the eyes of many. I think Nuit Blanche 2006 and 2007 are highly comparable and I thoroughly enjoyed both. The city was buzzing and people were having a good time, whether they were serious art aficionados or not. Staid Toronto was transformed for yet another night and it really does feel like our fair burg is on a long, but steady trajectory to becoming a cultural mecca as we continue to fall in love with ourselves (in a good way!)

I enjoyed the vast majority of the art. Even the ho-hum stuff to me, was probably brilliant to someone else. Of course, lessons can be learned and I think there's probably a way to lessen the corporatism of the event, while allowing it to grow (perhaps more organically). Some of the A-list cultural facilities (ROM, National Ballet School, etc.) were also the most disappointing as far as Nuit Blanche went. The event was fairly well organized, but it's really hard to keep a "heart" to the whole thing when Toronto's artistic scene is spilling all over the city. I'd dare say we might see a Zone D next year (Riverdale, Leslieville, Distillery, St. Lawrence, etc.)

My photos (and three videos) in three parts...

Nuit Blanche (part I)

Nuit Blanche (part II)

Nuit Blanche (part III)
 
Priceless Monet punctured during Paris Nuit Blanche

Drunken intruders broke into the Orsay Museum in Paris early Sunday and punched a hole in an invaluable work by Impressionist master Claude Monet.

French Culture Minister Christine Albanel called the attack on Monet's Le Pont d'Argenteuil an assault on the French people.

Le Pont d'Argenteuil by Claude Monet is exhibited at the Orsay Museum in Paris. Intruders punched a 10-centimetre tear in the canvas.
(Thibault Camus/Associated Press) Le Pont d'Argenteuil depicts a view of the Seine at a rural bend, featuring a bridge and boats.

"This splendid Monet painting punched right in the middle," said an emotional Albanel on French radio.

An official described the damage as a 10-centimetre tear. But the painting can be restored, Albanel said.

The break-in occurred during Paris's annual all-night festival — Nuit Blanche (Sleepless Night) — which brought 1.5 million people into the streets for concerts and exhibits. Toronto recently held its second Nuit Blanche.

A surveillance camera caught a group of four boys and one girl entering through a broken door at the museum, which houses a major collection of impressionist art, on the banks of the Seine River.

An alarm sounded and the group left. No arrests have been made yet.

Albanel also said that she would seek improved security in museums and stronger sanctions against those who desecrate art.

Monet led the 19th-century Impressionist movement, and is noted for his experimentation with light, colour and perception. Some of his best-known works include Nympheas, Water Lilies and Impression, Sunrise.

Louroz
 
It is stunning that the Musée d'Orsay could be left for the night with an unguarded broken door - that place must hold close to a $1B Cdn worth of art - I'd start by firing the kid in charge of security.

42
 
Nuit Blanche 2008

From City of Toronto News:

July 9, 2008
Scotiabank Nuit Blanche 2008 program announced -
OCAF funding to support enhanced projects

Mayor David Miller, the Honourable Aileen Carroll, Ontario’s Minister of Culture, and the 2008 Curators assembled earlier today to announce funding and reveal the programming lineup for this year’s Scotiabank Nuit Blanche - Toronto’s all-night celebration of contemporary art which returns on October 4, 2008.

Mayor Miller and Minister Carroll announced that Scotiabank Nuit Blanche 2008 will receive a one-time cash injection from the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund of the Government of Ontario through the Ministry of Culture.

“An event of this scale benefits tremendously from great funding partners,” said Mayor Miller. “I'd like to thank Scotiabank for its support and also the Ontario Government for contributing to Scotiabank Nuit Blanche. I'm thrilled that their investments in 2008 will allow us to enhance the event and maximize the number of people who can experience contemporary art on a larger scale.”

“Ontario is proud to be a partner in this event by helping attract more visitors to spend a sleepless night in Toronto with great art,” said Minister Carroll. “Cultural tourism events like this one are a great boost to our economy.”

“For two years now, we have seen and experienced firsthand the joy that Scotiabank Nuit Blanche brings to our city and to the many people who come to take part in it,” said Chris Hodgson, Scotiabank Executive Vice-President and Head, Domestic Personal Banking. “As the title sponsor of Scotiabank Nuit Blanche, Scotiabank is looking forward to October 4, a night that will celebrate artistic creativity and the important role that arts and culture play in enriching our community.”

The 2008 Scotiabank Nuit Blanche Exhibition Curators - Gordon Hatt, Wayne Baerwaldt, Dave Dyment and Haema Sivanesan - also announced their curatorial statements and the artists and projects they will feature.

Once again, unique spaces across Toronto will be transformed by contemporary art. Project Blinkenlights from Berlin will create Stereoscope, converting Toronto’s City Hall into the world’s largest interactive computer screen. Hundreds of zombies will take over College Park for Jillian McDonald’s piece entitled Zombies in Condoland. Yoko Ono’s three-part interactive exhibition in Liberty Village will require thousands to Imagine Peace. Matt Masters and 2kids.tv will collaborate on the outrageous nouveau cabaret Don Coyote, blurring the lines between performer and observer in the city’s financial district. Maple Leaf Gardens will resonate with robotic voices as Toronto’s Luis Jacobs asks participants to picture a world Without Persons.

Full programming details will be available on www.scotiabanknuitblanche.ca in late July. The public can sign up for the e-newsletter on the site for event updates and tools to plan their night.

Scotiabank Nuit Blanche is produced by the City of Toronto in collaboration with Toronto’s arts community. Since the inaugural event in 2006, it has secured its place among the most important cultural events in North America, being honoured with the prestigious Urban Leadership Award and the Globe and Mail Business for the Arts Award. In 2007, the event saw double the community participation and nearly double the attendance as more than 800,000 people swarmed Toronto’s streets in search of art in unlikely spaces. This year, artists will showcase their art at over 155 destinations, and once again cultural institutions from museums to galleries to artist-run centres will open their doors and offer free access to contemporary art city-wide.

Scotiabank is committed to supporting communities both in Canada and abroad. Recognized as a leader internationally and among Canadian corporations for its charitable donations and philanthropic activities, in 2007 Scotiabank provided more than $43 million in sponsorships and donations to a variety of projects and initiatives, primarily in the areas of healthcare, education, social services and arts and culture.

Toronto is Canada’s largest city and sixth largest government, and home to a diverse population of about 2.6 million people. It is the economic engine of Canada and one of the greenest and most creative cities in North America. In the past three years, Toronto has won more than 70 awards for quality, innovation and efficiency in delivering public services. Toronto’s government is dedicated to prosperity, opportunity and liveability for all its residents.

Media contact:
Giannina Warren, Toronto Special Events, 416-395-7318, gwarren@toronto.ca

http://wx.toronto.ca/inter/it/newsr...65f8f9ead1159ce885257481004ff8e4?OpenDocument
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Blinkenlights in Toronto!!

AoD
 
Sounds exciting, and almost makes up for all the times Scotiabank is mentioned in that above post. (I still found the branding way too in-your-face such as all that hocking of bank cards, hopefully that's toned down this year) It's a week later from last year, is it not?

That's fine with me, as I'll be out of the country for most of September.
 
Let's hope so, smuncky. Setting Luis loose in the Gardens offers all sorts of possibilities - I've enjoyed his work ever since Pigeon Condo a couple of summers ago.
 

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