2025 Theme & Artistic Team

Translating the City

Cities are living texts, continually shaped by histories, landscapes, architecture, infrastructure, nature and people. Their languages take many forms—spoken, written, visual, gestural and sonic—creating layered and ever-evolving individual and collective narratives. Cities also communicate through their built and natural environments, public spaces, rhythms and even in their silences.

For Nuit Blanche 2025, Translating the City interprets, transforms and decodes the urban experience through art. Inspired by the multilingual nature of cities, including Toronto, where over 200 languages are spoken, this theme considers the intersections of culture, language, identity and place. Translation is not simply the conversion of one language to another, but the connection and understanding it creates.

This year’s theme explores how art can translate the complexities of cities, inviting us to reconsider our role within them, and to reimagine the possibilities they hold.

About the Artistic Director

Laura Nanni (she/her) is a renowned curator, producer and artist with over 15 years of experience in large-scale events, performance and public art. She is widely recognized for her successful leadership and curation of initiatives focused on artistic experimentation, civic engagement and interdisciplinary collaboration. Currently, Nanni is serving as Artistic Director for Nuit Blanche 2024 and 2025. Prior to this, Nanni has held various roles including Artistic & Managing Director of SummerWorks (2016 to 2023); Interim Programming Supervisor for Nuit Blanche Toronto (2013 to 2015); Producer for Luminato Festival (2014 to 2015); Rhubarb Festival Director for Buddies in Bad Times Theatre (2010 to 2014); and Curator & Program Coordinator for HATCH mentorship and residency program at Harbourfront Centre (2008 to 2010). Her artworks and collaborations have been presented globally.