Amidst the hustle and bustle of Saturday nightlife, Nuit Blanche made its annual appearance across the downtown core, Scarborough and North York, in a presentation of three curated installations on September 23rd. In addition, surrounding artist-run centers and contemporary galleries also partook in the 7 pm – 7 am event by showcasing their own individual exhibitions, inviting crowds of people to engage with the artists and curators of the spaces.
Nuit Blanche crowd, Nathan Phillips Square, September 23, 2023
Beginning the tour of installations earlier on in the night is your best bet, for within an hour of walking, I saw the crowd sizes triple and lines begin to form out the doors of many participating buildings. One of which was 401 Richmond, home to dozens of artist-run centers, including Red Head Gallery, Gallery 44 and Abbozzo Gallery.
Upon entering the main entrance, you are swept up in the sound of saxophones and jazz percussionists, who play surrounded by free standing walls of artwork created by local emerging artists. The musicians can be heard beyond the lobby as you wind up and around the metal staircase and find yourself in Red Head Gallery. Tonia Di Risio’s current exhibit Tracings Revisited follows the experiences of objects used in reflection of her grandmother. The sculptures are shown projecting from the walls, each left individually untitled, decorating the space in a seemingly personal narrative of loss and remembrance.
Tonia Di Risio’s Tracings Revisited, on at Red Head Gallery
Down the hall, you’d find yourself entering Gallery 44, the Centre for Contemporary Photography. Two exhibits are currently being shown in adjoining rooms, however, tucked away in their member’s gallery one can see Ryan Jakebek’s, Confluence. Within the square space, an entire wall (the first on your right) is a series of cut up photographs hanging together in unison showcasing an event called Kumbh Mela. Every 6 years, a small river in India plays host to upwards of two hundred and forty million visitors. On astrologically pre-determined days, Hindu pilgrims believed these waters obtained divine power. The artist highlights the power of scale found within crowds, further contextualizing this exploration by presenting, on the adjacent wall, individual detailed portraits (which were all left untitled).
Ryan Jakebek’s Confluence exhibit at Gallery 44
Moving along to Abbozzo Gallery, a unique collection of works were on display, inspired by artificial intelligence and the legend of Robert Johnson. The exhibition, 12:06 AM, is presented by artist Richard A. Jacobson, who heard the legend of the famed guitarist, rumored to have sold his soul to the devil in exchange for supernatural playing abilities. If you enjoy stepping into the supernatural, technological and fantastical nature of artworks, this is the exhibit for you. Jacobson explores, through the use of his resin guitars and skull sculptures, feelings of fear, curiosity and creativity.
Richard A Jacobson’s 12:06 AM exhibit at Abbozzo Gallery, (R-L)…exposing our Dark Desires, Outside the cocoon it waits, The Time for Deals is Past, An act of yesterday’s logic & hype-ge-al
Dark Wind
As previously mentioned, each of the sectors participating in Nuit Blanche included curate installations. Some, like those in the downtown core of Toronto, can be found on the streets. The downtown installations were curated by Kari Cwynar and included 9 of the night’s artists stretching from Nathan Phillips Square, down Bay St., ending at Union Station. Under the theme of Disturbed Landscapes, these 9 artists unearthed the land beneath the corporate buildings, bank plazas and parking lots to highlight the relationships between land and power in urban environments.
One of these works, along Bay St., was titled A Practical Guide by Divya Mehra. This artist used her inflatable installation of a plastic bag to explore themes of displacement, loss and oppression. The word “LOOT” is imprinted on the bag where one would normally see the words “THANK YOU”. It encourages the viewers to question the colonial displacement of people across history.
A Practical Guide, Divya Mehra
The last of the installations, found at Union Station, was titled To be one and multiple at the same time by Krista Belle Stewart. In a series of banners stretching from floor to ceiling in between the columns seen from Front St, Stewart engages with a similar topic of travel across spaces. Having traveled herself by ocean liner from Europe to Quebec City, followed by train to Union Station, Stewart reflects upon the past and present roles of transit and travel between colonial nation-states.
To be one and multiple at the same time, Krista Belle Stewart’s installation outside Union Station
In a collective engagement of art, Nuit Blanche brought to light a variety of topics and discussions that needed to be had. It didn’t matter how many people you may have had to rub shoulders with as you walked, you could feel the energy of the night even as the dawn rose the following day. Nuit Blanche is a night to remember and though it only happens once a year, its messages and emotions conveyed will last far beyond.
Lex Barrie