KAROLINA WISNIEWSKI
<Editor-in-Chief>
It’s that time again, Ozzies. The initial start-of-the-new-academic-year enthusiasm is slowly but unmistakably ebbing. The thrill of cracking open new textbooks and donning back-to-school wardrobe for the first time has given way to the disconcerting and vaguely horrifying notion that midterms and OCIs are looming in the all-too-near future, patiently waiting for their cue to wreak havoc in our lives. Our daily r
outines may seem a little more grinding, our readings more trying; waking up at 7 AM feels a lot more difficult now than it did a month ago, doesn’t it? When called forth during the summer, our memories of autumn months tend to omit the bone-chilling dampness, week-long grey skies and spindly, skeleton-like trees that punctuate the sidewalks, all of which rudely intrude into our daily reality, as unwelcome as they are uninvited. Perhaps it was with this astute and perceptive awareness of our collective plight that the organizers of Nuit Blanche scheduled the timing of the event on October 5th: a final hurrah, just as 6 months of cold weather, the seasonal flu and scarce daylight descend upon us.
For those unfamiliar with it, Nuit Blanche is an annual all-night art festival, held in various locations around Toronto. Exhibits number in the hundreds and encompass a variety of mediums, including sculpture, performance art, photography and film. Projects are either commissioned or independent works submitted by local and international artists. The standout exhibition this year will undoubtedly be the Canadian debut of Ai Weiwei’s acclaimed Forever Bicycles, but the inclusion of this artistic celebrity ought not to eclipse the bevy of other exciting pieces that will be on display.
Nuit Blanche brings out the best and weirdest of Toronto culture, creating a unique atmosphere that cannot be replicated. Since its inception in 2006, Nuit Blanche has ballooned in size and popularity, which has resulted the development of certain weaknesses: sporadic distribution of art installations which can condemn attendees to seemingly endless trekking
from piece to piece, unmanageable crowds populated with inebriated teenagers and, occasionally, over-wrought, strained and sometimes desperate pieces that inelegantly attempt to claw their way towards artistic epiphany (and which often fail). But shortcomings aside, Nuit Blanche is an exciting, interesting and refreshingly different thing to do in the city.
Although justice cannot be done to all the worthwhile art sure to be on
display, the foregoing is meant to offer a glimpse of some of the works to look forward to. Most of the artist statements are appropriately minimalist, elusive and otherwise vague, therefore, I can only surmise as to what most of the pieces will actually look like, and I may be off. But then again, that just adds to the fun.
The Big Crunch, 2013
This sounds interesting, mostly because it plays off of Marcel Duchamp’s Bicycle Wheel, which was essentially single-handedly responsible for introducing the world to the readymade sculpture, something akin to the “Big Bang” of modern art. This work re-presents the bicycle wheel and stool used in the original work in a new and unexpected way, returning them to their “point of origin”, thus bringing about a “Big Crunch”. Witty and
innovative while incorporating historical references; I’m a fan.
l’air du temps, 2013
Based on the artist statement, this installation appears to recreate the smells of a 1919 Paris street. This has the potential to be incredibly disgusting, or else, entirely boring (a room full of…air?). Either way, I’m i
1-855-IS IT ART (1-855-474-8278), 2013ntrigued.
Curious to see if the pile of garbage in front of you, roped off, lit up by spotlights and appearing to host a raccoon Thanksgiving really is “art”? It’s not always clear what counts a
s art, at least within the realm of c
ontemporary practice. Call this toll free number during Nuit Blanche to settle any concerns you may have on that score.
Paper Orbs, 2013
It seems as though attendees are invited to dismantle a larger-than life origami sculpture by picking off paper helmets and wearing them. I’m mostly just interest
ed in seeing a crowd of peopl
e wearing paper bags on their heads.
The Soniferous Æther of The Land Beyond The Land Beyond, 2013
This looped film projection is a time-lapse of footage shot at the CFS ALERT Signals Intelligence Station on Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, “the northernmost settlement on earth”. Combining allusions to science fiction and surveillance, this work appears to tackle some interesting themes by incorporating real footage from one of the most remote locations
on Earth.
Shrine, 2013
A stack
of garbage bins meant to emulate the architecture of a Gothic Cathedral? Sounds sufficiently nonsensical; I’m in.
Burrman, 2013
This apparently terrifying performance piece features the artist covering “himself in burrs…[and walking] a meandering route throughout the Financial Dist
rict”. The preliminary rendering may not be accurate, but it looks horrifying (or horrifyingly rediciulous?), and the inability to predict when or where visitors will encounter the artist adds to the fun.
Your Temper, My Weather
“One hundred regional beekeepers dressed in their bee-suits will partici
pate in a
massive collective meditation”. Hipster nonsense: 1, logic: 0.
Voices of Fire
In this tricked-out karaoke bar, a flame tube is connected the karaoke machine, and singers are able to control the movement of flames with their voice. Do I think this work successfully produce the intended effect? No. Is karaoke always a good time, whether one is singing or listening? Yes.
Lexicon
This work takes “the top twenty most-used words from seven volumes of our anthology of Toronto literature” and compiles them into a lexicon of words that are unique and specific to our city. It’s a charming idea, and I’m curious to see which words make the cut.
Nothing is better
“A surrea
l science musical documentary. An energetic, amusing and thought-provoking report on the condition of man from the other side of zero”. See my feelings on Your Temper, My Weather, above.
Nui Blanc: Knock Off Merchandise Factory
Here, the artist runs a “knock off merchandise factory” which specializes in producing Nui Blanc souvenirs. Has the potential to the underwhelming, but sounds interesting enough to check out.