News Release
October 6, 2019

Last night, residents and visitors flooded the streets of downtown and Scarborough to explore contemporary art for the 14th edition of Nuit Blanche Toronto. Audiences experienced nearly 90 projects from 300 artists, including performance art, interactive instillations, sculpture and mixed media. Eight projects remain on display beyond October 6.
           
Nuit Blanche by the numbers:  

– 425,600 pounds of sand used for the largest Japanese-inspired garden created by the artist.
(Lunar Garden by Daniel Arsham, sponsored by Shiseido)

– 3,500 bells as part of a sculptural and performance installation offering the experience of slowing time, space and the senses (Ephemeral Artifacts by Anandam Dancetheatre and Brandy Leary, sponsored by Scarborough Town Centre).

– 3,000 sashes, each part of an infinitely repeating poem, given to the public to circulate throughout the night
(Death by Committee – On and on and on and on by Death by Committee)

– 406 pounds of plastic waste pulled from Toronto waterways reused to create a polar bear sculpture (Poly by Josh Jaikaran, Dave LaGrotta, Katrina Salvador and Ryan Smith)

– 36 “babies” launched from a canon into the sky, gently parachuting into the crowd (Everyone Wants a Free Baby! by Studio F Minus)

– 24 coffins adorned by former artist-tenants transformed the audience into a funeral procession (Eulogy for the Coffin Factory by Lake Effect Projects)

As part of the Nuit Blanche Toronto Extended Projects program, supported by the Government of Ontario, eight projects will remain on display beyond October 6:

– Lunar Garden by Daniel Arsham,  until October 12
In the largest Japanese-inspired garden he’s ever created, Daniel Arsham brings the moon to downtown Toronto—along with his iconic brightly coloured sand and sculptures.
Location: Nathan Phillips Square, 100 Queen St. W.

– Ephemeral Artifacts by Anandam Dancetheatre and Brandy Leary, until October 13
This sonic, sculptural and performance installation offers the experience of slowing time, space and the senses. The dancing bodies of Scarborough are honoured here.
Location: Scarborough Town Centre, Centre Court, 300 Borough Dr.

– Scarborough Royalty by Durothethird, until October 14
In a tribute to his hometown, Durothethird makes royalty of everyone in this immersive installation combining graffiti with sculpture.
Location: Albert Campbell Square, 150 Borough Dr.

– Tepknuset by Jordan Bennett, until October 14
A new sculptural work by an award-winning artist reflects on Mi’kmaq visual culture to depict narratives around land, home and our place in the universe.
Location: Albert Campbell Square, Galleria Level, – 290 Borough Dr.
(outside Scarborough Town Centre RT station)

– Reconnected STC by Mark “Kurupt” Stoddart, until October 14
This project reconnects the local community with some of its many extraordinary individuals.  
Location: Pathway between TTC and Scarborough Town Centre, 300 Borough Dr.

– Stronghold by John Notten, until October 20
This immersive experience repurposes common objects to explore the fort as an archetype of power and privilege.
Location: Fort York National Historic Site, 250 Fort York Blvd.

– Hoarding by Gareth Lichty – until October 20
Vast amounts of hazard tape wrap the pillars of the Bentway, creating a monumental, immersive installation that becomes animated in the wind.
Location: Bentway East, 250 Fort York Blvd.

– Life of the Earth by Director X, until January 5, 2020
Director X returns with his thought-provoking Life of the Earth, a follow-up to his monumental Death of the Sun, which wowed crowds at Nuit Blanche 2016.  Life of the Earth is created in partnership with the Ontario Science Centre.
Location: Ontario Science Centre, 770 Don Mills Rd.

Further details on viewing times for all extended projects are available at http://toronto.ca/nbto.  

High resolution images from Nuit Blanche Toronto 2019 are available at https://www.flickr.com/photos/cityoftoronto/albums/72157671105770928.

Nuit Blanche Toronto has fostered cultural engagement for 14 years, making contemporary art accessible to a mass and diverse audience. Official attendance and economic impact figures for Nuit Blanche Toronto 2019 will be released in November. Plans are underway for the 15th edition of the event.

About Nuit Blanche Toronto
Nuit Blanche Toronto is the city’s annual all-night celebration of contemporary art, produced by the City of Toronto in collaboration with Toronto’s arts community and funded by the Government of Ontario and Tourism Toronto. Since 2006, this award-winning event has featured almost 1,571 art installations by approximately 5,600 artists and has generated over $398 million in economic impact for Toronto. Information and updates are available at http://toronto.ca/nuitblanche, on Facebook at http://facebook.com/nuitblancheTO, on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/nuitblancheTO, on Instagram at http://www.instagram.com/nuitblancheTO. The event hashtag is #nbTO19.

Toronto is Canada’s largest city, the fourth largest in North America, and home to a diverse population of more than 2.9 million people. It is a global centre for business, finance, arts and culture and is consistently ranked one of the world’s most livable cities. For information on non-emergency City services and programs, Toronto residents, businesses and visitors can visit http://www.toronto.ca, call 311, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or follow http://www.twitter.com/cityoftoronto on Twitter, http://www.instagram.com/cityofto on Instagram and http://www.facebook.com/cityofto on Facebook.

Michele Simpson
Economic Development and Culture
416-392-4467