Perhaps it stems from working twelve years in the restaurant industry from the age of 15 as I earned my way through school, but I am definitely more of a night hawk. Which is one of the reasons I’m a huge fan of Nuit Blanche. Starting this year at 7:03pm on Saturday September 29th until sunrise, the city will come alive with art and installations that can only dazzle in the darkness of night.

Original to Paris, France in 2002, as an initiative to expose contemporary art to the masses in public spaces, Nuit Blanche (translated as “Sleepless Night,”) has become a pedestrian hit in Paris every year since. Toronto, along with six other European cities, was invited by the Paris organizers in 2005 to share in the event, which has subsequently blossomed to more than 25 cities around the world in their own versions of this all-night art extravaganza.

Nuit Blanche is one of my favourite cultural celebrations of the year, as it’s a fusion of high art venues, major cultural institutions, and independent artist installations that are located chock-a-block across the downtown core in three curated zones. Torontonians come out in droves to celebrate our collective love of Art. I find it fascinating that in the middle of the night, the streets are as intense with people and traffic as the height of rush hour! What seems banal in the everyday experience becomes magical under the luminosity of our bright lights bit city nightscape. Last year, around 1 million people checked out the works of more than 500 artists and curators. The TTC transportation network extends its hours to accommodate the crowds, which get larger and more enchanted each year.

A night like this comes but once a year!  Click HERE to see some photos from my explorations last year!

For more information and details, including their interactive event map, check out the Scotiabank Nuit Blanche website by clicking HERE.

~ Steven

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