Exploring Art at Nuit Blanche 2016

In it’s 11th iteration, the annual Nuit Blanche saw millions of people gather in the heart of Toronto to explore and wander through art. 

The art festival regained a more independent feel by not having a large corporate sponsor. It many ways it brought back a more natural artistic vibe. The all-night celebration featured over 300 artists with around 90 projects.

After having a fancy dinner at CIBO, the LiL team took to the heart of Toronto and experienced some really cool installations. Our first stop was the Gladstone hotel. The ground floor was a Strangers Things themed dance party, #justice4barb. Upstairs was the actual exhibit called Fly By Night. A collection of video and interactive movement generated sounds. One of our favourite stops was [R]ed[U]x lab where we spent some good time drawing in panes of glass in dark light. After roaming the streets and passing by a handful of buskers and being squished like sardines for 20 minutes, we then hopped on a streetcar to City Hall. The big attractions where here at the Oblivion zone. Director X’s bold and unmissable Death of the Sun was just something you stare at in awe all night. We came to a line that wrapped around 3 sides of City Hall but it was worth the adventure into Ocean. This was an amazing experience of darkness with shimmering lights through plastic water bottles and the sounds of some deity in distress. An obvious call to environmental waste awareness. 

Overall, it was an enjoyable night out with friends and provocative pieces of expression. It definitely felt small than previous years, but in many ways it was a call back to the original intention of Nuit Blanche.