Opinion: A Night to Remember, Nuit Blanche 2008 Toronto

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From the zombies trudging along Yonge Street to the art of Smashin trash in Liberty Village the downtown of Toronto was filled with life last night. The sidewalks were a traffic jam at times, but considering that that traffic jam represented those that love the world of art it was a pleasant diversion.

A friend and I started at the 'top', the University of Toronto. And forgive me for not being able to remember it all, six hours late at night, kilometer after kilometer of walking the busy streets tends to make the nearly old a bit forgetful at the best of times.

flickr little lebrowski urban sign image:43729:1::0

We didn't see much at the University instead opting to walk through Queen's Park. There we glimpsed a carnival like side show.

flickr snidersicon Meeky is Here..............Queen's Park image:43728:1::0

We watched people setting up tripods and chanting, singing and dancing. We saw life.

Perhaps that is the true element of life, art merging with people who are themselves the art that is merged. We as a collective core make this globe colourful, different. We each are part of the landscape that others can look at and see awe.

From Queen's Park we strolled to College and Yonge where the Zombies were being made up. Everyday people were allowing themselves to be turned into ghouls complete with a signed film rights statement.

flickr snidersicon Zombie girl of the night. image:43727:1::0

After making our way to Dundas Square we ventured into Eaton's Centre where a huge blue plastic thingy was hanging overhead.

flickr snidersicon Eaton's Centre image:43730:1::0

After a check trip to the cash machine we wandered down to Nathan Phillip Square and watched a LED light show.

flickr mrbeng Nathan Phillip's Square image:43731:2::0

A quick side trip for a soda brought us to Scotia Plaza's tent. The girls there told us to hit up Commerce Court and Union Station. When told there's cool art I do as I am told.

Commerce Court's parkette held a cool video performance piece about how stocks and money and news media work. At least that's what I took from it. I must admit I agreed with the girls, it was well worth the time to absorb. We took a break sitting at the fountain re-watching the show a few times.

flickr itdan Commerce Court image:43732:2::0

It was time for the Scream show at Union Station. Alas, the line was too long and it was hitting midnight. We decided to grab a subway train to St. Patrick and hit the fare along McCaul Street. We watched drawings being drawn and posted. Browsing through the simple images we reflected on how even the most basic lines were indeed art. Childish doodles and intense pictorials all had their own value. Another light show viewed and we hit Queen Street.

After watching street art including a group we first viewed at Dundas Square, three photographers taking pictures ala paparazzi except only taking pictures of themselves, ( It was one of the more humorous acts and one you had to be there to understand.) we started for the trendy Queen West area.

There are times though that plans change, by Bathhurst Street we were fading fast and yet wanted to see more, merge more into the night. A quick change of plans brought us to Liberty Village on King West. There the most important message of the night stood. The Wish Tree, a Yoko Ono Project in memory of John Lennon. Wishes were written and attached to the sea of trees. From wishing for a date to world peace, wishes of art filled Torontians waved in the breeze.

flickr Rabblefish The Wish Tree image:43735:2::0

We ended our evening a short span from the sea of wishes to watch Smashin! A performance art bit that had computers and TV's dropping 25 feet to become a sea of smashed trash art below. It was the perfect ending for us. It was lively, it was colourful and it was just plan out fun. And in the end isn't that what art is. It brings us to life. It changes the colours we see when we look at the crowd. It is fun.



I hope you enjoyed this disjointed tour. And now I am taking a nap. Art is indeed fun but a six hour non-stop absorbing walk is hard on this lady!

I forgot my camera. All images obtained from the kind folks who have uploaded their personal art to FlickR.