Last night was Nuit Blanche in Toronto -- the night that the entire city pulls an all-nighter. It's an amazing opportunity to see some local art and to reclaim public space.
I was with friends last night and managed to stay up until about 3:15AM. I wussed out and couldn't last any longer than that. Nuit Blanche runs until 7:00AM.
Here are some photos that I took (click for slideshow):
Sunday, October 01, 2006
Nuit Blanche Toronto 2006
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Whatever we engage in becomes engaging.
This is not a particularly profound thought. In fact, it's quite linear and quite logical. Yet, it is a statement that more than applies to art and how we experience art -- as individuals, as a community and as a culture and a society.
I had the occasion last week to discuss the sad reality that Toronto's art scene is not self-sustaining. To qualify: this does not mean there is no community. In fact, there are strong localized artistic communities and, at times, these communities cross over to support other avenues and genres. But, for most Canadian artists, their success depends on recognition outside our borders (the exception being Quebec, whose language helps insulate the culture, which then provides a medium for artists to express and grow in a self-sustaining, nurturing environment).
Enter Nuit Blanche.
While I was not in Toronto to personally witness this event, accounts from friends attest that Nuit Blanche was the first exciting, encompassing and thoroughly community arts driven event to happen in Toronto since the 1960s (the time of free love and music in hippie-Yorkville). The event provided people an opportunity to walk around and take in art -- not simply in a gallery setting (though a variety of galleries, including UofT's Hart House, participated) but on the street, in the parks and in community centres. The event was an opportunity for art and community to intermingle -- to engage.
Thanks!
rkresponsibleliving.blogspot.com
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