At last, a new installment of Nuit Blanche happened overnight, October 1 & 2.
Still cautious during this time when COVID-19 is an ongoing menace, I figured getting out for the mostly outdoor installations would be a safe bet. It was a cool night, but not cold, as if the weather was cooperating for the return of this marvelous art festival.
The theme this year was The Space Between Us, with exhibits showing what keeps us apart, and what brings us together.
Once again, I went for the downtown area, and there was lots to see.
The first stop was at Holy Trinity Church, next to the Eaton Centre, where this installation was titled Loom. Strips of reflective material strung over large frames gave off bright colours, images, and projections.
Visitors could walk between the frames, and the colours of the strips would change - as you can see in these two pictures, for instance, from a greenish to an orange hue.
I took a brief video of one of the sides, which shows a projected video of a construction crew at work.
A final shot shows a rather eerie moving image of a woman's eye and lips.
Next, it was down to the Cenotaph in front of Old City hall for this piece, Good Night, Good Tomorrow, a series of three large screens that displayed continuously changing colours and patterns as people moved around it.
Once again, I took a short video to show the installation in action.
Down to Adelaide and Yonge next, for Untying Space, a sheet of material attached to the corner of the building. Over the two pictures, you can see an ever-shifting iridescent effect around the extreme edges of the material. The effect would change, depending on where the viewer stood.
In the same area, and stretching for most of a block in the middle of Yonge Street, was The Dinner Table, a piece whose purpose was to remind visitors of the time we've all spent apart during the pandemic, and how shared experiences, like a dinner, bring us together.
Visitors were encouraged to sprinkle coloured powder (provided by volunteers) on the display to show encouragement for the reunion of friends and families in the (hopefully) not-too-distant future.
A bit further down the street, at Yonge and Colborne, this installation, Synapses, has a kind of "network" theme. It could represent nerves, or tree roots/branches, but shows that there can be disconnection as well as connection.
After a lengthy walk down to the Harbourfront area, there were two final installations to take in.
The first one was Illuminated Inflorescence, a glowing polygonal sculpture that would change colour as people moved around it.
Finally, right on the surface of Lake Ontario was this remarkable piece, part of a series called Mana Moana, with a theme related to indigenous women. It was a projected video on a flat stream of water created from the surface of the lake, and was really striking.
It put me in mind of a similar installation from a few years back that used a similar "waterwall" formed from the reflecting pool at Nathan Philips Square.
(Sorry about the tour boat in the background - couldn't be helped!)
From another angle, the projection looks even more amazing, even though it's from farther away.
While on Toronto's waterfront, I got this shot of the Billy Bishop Airport area, and the crescent moon reflecting on the water. I thought it nicely captured the peaceful and positive feeling I got from this night.
And, that was it for the night.
I've gone to the Aga Khan Museum in the past as part of my experience, but didn't feel like it this year, so it made for a shorter sojourn this time. I always enjoy that place though, so it'll definitely be in my plans for the future.
I've been struck while making this entry that so many of the pieces here encouraged participation, or movement, or activity, from visitors. It's like the artists wanted people to feel like part of a community again, after these two-plus years (and ongoing) of relative isolation. What a beautiful thought to take home!
