COMMENTARY

Nuit Blanche 2009
By Ayan Melikli

Paris. Rome. Lima. Leeds. Montreal. Toronto. What do they all have in common? The White Night; Nuit Blanche. Toronto’s 2009 Scotiabank Nuit Blanche was our 4th annual celebration. From 6 PM to 6 AM, visitors could see contemporary art, indulge in street eats and enjoy the all- night party atmosphere. With three Zones, 12 hours almost doesn’t seem like enough to see everything. Well- it’s really not, but if you plan on handing over your night in the name of Art, you should probably know just what it is you’re signing up for.

Unless you use the new handy-dandy event planner at scotiabanknuitblanche.ca, you’re probably bound for a bout of aimless wandering. I ended up in Zone C- Queen West. In recent years, West Queen West has been sliding into the realm of overpriced-everything-in-the-name-of-trendy-art, but with more than a handful of first-rate galleries it seemed to be the destination for a night of Art-ing. Yes, the aforementioned galleries were indeed open all night, including the Lens Factory, New Gallery and the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art, however, this didn’t seem to make up for the lack of “hands-on”, engaging projects Nuit Blanche was initially meant to be about.

MOCCA’s own exhibit was, to say the least, disappointing. Hockey: Canadian? Yes. Interesting? Debatable. With yet another in a string of silent video installations MOCCA failed to do anything groundbreaking. Giant hockey masks inspired a 3rd grader’s perspective on Jason, minus the blood and chainsaw- possibly the only way the paintings could have been interesting. ARENA: Road Game is here from the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia. It’s not that there weren’t amusing pieces (a picture of a skeleton in a Leafs jersey sitting on a lawn chair with a sign that says "Leafs fan waiting for the Cup” was probably the most accurate and fun in the collection) but it fails to capture anything of significance. As far as a theme; it was there, it was waiting fully developed for someone to interpret it, but ARENA didn’t do this Canadian obsession justice. Perhaps the concepts weren’t but the finished products seemed half-baked. Sadly the Edward Day Gallery-a well known commercial gallery adjacent to MOCCA- seemed closed for the night.

Perennially familiar faces like that-free-standing-stone-sculpture-guy and that-guy-with-the-tiny-paint-splattered-canvases, as well as teenagers with wings could be sþeen all night long. But amidst the chaos and underwhelming line-up of mute video-projections, a few favourites stood out: Coupe Bizzare and TSA’s drawing sessions (one of several night-long life drawing sessions throughout Toronto) and the Post Secret fence at Church and Alexander managed to get into the spirit of the night by providing a way for passers by to get hands-on involvement. Alita Gonzalez’s Nite-Lite also attracted a considerable crowd to bring out their inner child by playing with an oversized Lite-Brite made of coloured Plastic Bottles. I only wish someone created a picture.

My favourite was Thom Hamilton’s Last 100 Days “exhibit”. Set up like the Parisian Artists Walk in a tiny alley way in the heart of West Queen West, Hamilton chronicled his last 100 days living in Toronto before returning home to Vancouver. From the eyes of a Vancouverite, Toronto’s oft overlooked architecture took on new life. The photographs made me take a second glance back at this summer- from the seemingly unforgettable garbage strike to joggers, everything looks different in hindsight. Hamilton has a way with perspective. Aesthetically, his bridges were magnificent and he managed to make even the monster that is UofT’s Robarts Library look striking. Quite a feat and a welcome break from some of the headache inducing giant plastic buttons labelled “art” just around the corner.

Let’s be honest, for many people, Nuit Blanche is nothing more than an excuse for an all night booze-and-cruise, and with plenty of non-arts related parties, they weren’t disappointed. For the drifters, there was an abundance of live music (including in the window of Lens Factory) some inspiring participation, and numerous bars extended last call until 4 am. Food was available all over; Bay Street specifically was dedicated to various food stalls.

For those still reading, here are a few tips for next year: Bring plenty of money and friends, dress warm and wear your most comfortable walking shoes. Buy a TTC pass. And for GOD’S SAKE - don’t wear a miniskirt!

One last note: Cake is meant for eating, not dancing on. At 6 am, this is just plain insulting.

Ayan Melikli is a 1st year student in Centennial’s Fine Arts Studio Program. She is also an active participant in Toronto arts community. Ayan is currently curating her first exhibition for the Corridor Gallery. For info: melikli.a@gmail.com

The FASSIE welcomes written reviews, opinions and commentary on activities in the visual arts community. Please contact the editor at val.severino@gmail.com.