10.04.2009

nuit blanche

Amazing.

As with last night, I don't know where to begin.

I saw so much, there was so much more to see, and I had a great time of it, seeing what I could and hammering around the city at top speed. Mercy my legs are tired now but I couldn't be more pleased about everything. Let's relate it all in order and see how that works out. I saw more than this (it's impossible not to), but I only took so many pictures and a blog post can only be so long.

The bus station was my first stop where I met up with Brendan.

What better way to start off your evening of art than with cage wrestling? Unfortunately the show was periodic and because there was so much to do so we couldn't wait around.

I did see some of Canada's "elite wrestlers" standing around though. I think that's Vampire Man and Mega Hollywood standing on the stairs (might not be their actual wrestling monikers).

We did get to see some of what was going on in the previous show through the window. They were blindfolded and bouncing slowly. Meh.

From an intellectual perspective, this was a perfect place to start.

I had been in the space on Friday, using it for its 'proper' function on my way to Kingston and since juxtaposition is such a big part of this sort of event the timing was ideal.

The art and shows are great but the under-riding theme of nuit blanche is the need to re-imagine the urban spaces we travel through daily, opening people to the possibility that other ways of seeing things are always there, waiting below the surface. I could get into ideas of capitalist space, social norms and the Lefebvrian spatial triad but who needs more of that?(especially when one now questions some of the arguments previously put forth)

And perfectly, when I looked past the red velvet curtain there were people with suitcases buying tickets and readying themselves for journeys to who knows where. Don't restrict urban space to single use perspectives people, it just doesn't make sense!

Oh, and George 'The Animal' Steele was there but I decided against the autograph and photo. He's one of the good guys.
After the bus station it was off to the mall where we saw a dancing snow queen, and then...looming high above, a ferocious silver rabbit signalled DOOM FOR ALL HUMANITY!
Seriously though. So good. And by approaching the way we did I feel we got maximum points for an exciting reveal. Coming from below the bunny wasn't there, and then he was upon us in all his glory. We are but specks of dirt in this holy temple of the rabbit.
Brendan and I scoped it out from all the levels and I think we agreed this angle took best advantage of the space, the architecture and of course the giant silver rabbit.

From the mall it was off to city hall. Hang some giant letters on what is again unique architecture, hook them up to a computer with some sort of random word generator and a digital voice and let things take their course.

I'm not totally sure if it was meant to be completely random and if it was I kind of wish it wasn't. When the words started changing and people were shouting them out as they appeared it was pretty fun. I almost wish it had been telling jokes or something so on the final word, when all was revealed, the whole crowd could have giggled knowingly as one. Ah well. Something to work on.

From city hall I was off on my own, scampering across to the Distillery District for a dance show. It was improvised from suggestion made an hour previously and was lots of fun. They seemed to go for more of the fun and funny than extreme and deep emotional contemplation. My favourite was undeniably the Mario Bros. inspired dance.

I didn't get any clear pictures of that, so here's another one, equally good featuring trees and other stuff.
My legs were getting pretty tired at this point, but I was feeling the evening so I hiked back to the centre of things at King and Yonge (stopping along the way for treats). I visited the vodka pool, taking the chance to throw in my 2 cents.

Before watching this guy wade through the art work, fishing out some of the non-coin related items that had been tossed in.
Art!? No, just trash.
The night was pushing on, as is this post, so it was a brief stop at real money Monopoly, where Hannah Sung won 2nd prize in a beauty contest and was awarded $10, making Trevor Boris very happy.
Then it was a crammed street car ride to Liberty Village, where I reunited with various cool dudes and dudettes. Hurray!
Indie band album cover anyone?
And finally, thoroughly slogged, I dragged myself to see Brendan one last time. His class with the Canadian Film Centre's media lab were showing their project. Spooky heads saying stuff from Twitter.
And then I slept. But not enough. Work tomorrow and I am so tired it hurts right now. Might add more commentary later, or not. Good night.

nuit blanche = good

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