I must admit that over the last few years my opinion of Nuit Blanche has been cynical … The reality of waiting for hours to see "public" outdoor art is not my ideal way to spend my evenings. However , I'm realizing more and more that Toronto's trendy Nuit Blanche "art thing" isn't really about the art for me at all. It's about the community … our community … taking back it's streets, public spaces and buildings. It's about making a commitment to wander through our city streets into the early hours; enjoying, discovering, and experiencing what our amazing city has to offer, whether it's some art installation that will only be there for a day, or something that's been there for years which you've never noticed before, because you've been walking around with closed eyes. Nuit Blanche is about conscious observation, and active participation in a city that we are so comfortable in, that we forget how to experience it. It's about talking to random strangers and connecting to a collective "spirit" that emanates through our city on this one very special night . And for me, undoubtedly, it's about staying up all night and watching the sunrise over our sweet urban landscape. Mist rising, grapefruit sky and the silence of exhaustion, peace, rest.
