Category Archives: Nuit Blanche

CLOUD artists

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Since two of the art works highlighted in my last posting about Winnipeg’s Nuit Blanche were by the same artists, I think we should visit their website. Caitlind r.c. Brown and Wayne Garrett can be found at, appropriately, incandescentcloud.com.

CLOUD by Caitlind r.c. Brown and Wayne Garrett, photo by T. Vatrt

CLOUD by Caitlind r.c. Brown and Wayne Garrett, photo by T. Vatrt

After you’ve checked out their website/blog, you can  watch this one minute video about CLOUD, produced by Ms Brown.  As well, here is a good article from the Banff Centre, featuring the other work I enjoyed, The Deep Dark, and an interview with the artists.

The Deep Dark by Caitlind r.c. Brown and Wayne Garrett, photo by T. Vatrt

The Deep Dark by Caitlind r.c. Brown and Wayne Garrett, photo by T. Vatrt

It’s exciting work: relevant, intelligent,  interactive, gorgeous, and. ……fun.  What more could we ask for?  (Funding.  We can always ask for more funding.)

 

Nuit Blanche….à Winnipeg

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Winnipeg’s Nuit Blanche is a big, fun deal!  I’d read and heard about the Nuit Blanche festivals celebrating contemporary art, but had never attended one.

St. Boniface Bridge, photo by T. Vatrt

St. Boniface Bridge, photo by T. Vatrt

The French phrase, nuit blanche, means a ‘sleepless night.’  The concept of Nuit Blanche  –an all-night art party!– originated (appropriately) in France in 1984, and has spread around the world.  Canadian Art magazine has a great article (here) about why Nuit Blanche works, or sometimes fails, in Canadian cities.  Winnipeg staged its first Nuit Blanche in 2010;  last year Toronto’s Nuit Blanche celebrated its tenth anniversary.

I suppose every city has its own take on Nuit Blanche.  In Winnipeg, I visited a few outdoor displays, many of them interactive.

CLOUD by Caitlind r.c. Brown and Wayne Garrett, photo by T. Vatrt
CLOUD by Caitlind r.c. Brown and Wayne Garrett, photo by T. Vatrt
CLOUD by Caitlind r.c. Brown and Wayne Garrett, photo by T. Vatrt

Yes!  In CLOUD, the pull strings on the incandescent bulbs worked.  In The Deep Dark, we walked through 12 illuminated ‘doorways’ along the river.

The Deep Dark by Caitland r.c. Brown and Wayne Garrett, photo by T. Vatrt

The Deep Dark by Caitland r.c. Brown and Wayne Garrett, photo by T. Vatrt

I’m not sure which was more intriguing:  to watch people appear, and disappear through the doors, or to personally experience the enveloping light, quickly followed by complete darkness that occurred when you walked through the ‘doors.’

The Deep Dark by Caitland r.c. Brown and Wayne Garrett, photo by T. Vatrt

The Deep Dark by Caitland r.c. Brown and Wayne Garrett, photo by T. Vatrt

The Deep Dark by Caitland r.c. Brown and Wayne Garrett, photo by T. Vatrt

The Deep Dark by Caitland r.c. Brown and Wayne Garrett, photo by T. Vatrt

The Deep Dark by Caitland r.c. Brown and Wayne Garrett, photo by T. Vatrt

The Deep Dark by Caitland r.c. Brown and Wayne Garrett, photo by T. Vatrt

This is only a tiny sample of Winnipeg’s Nuit Blanche.  Click here to peruse the extensive program of performances, screenings and events that were staged Saturday, October 1, 2016.

Perhaps the most enjoyable aspect of Nuit Blanche was participating in the enjoyment of art, outdoors, at night, with hundreds of other people.  This may have been my first Nuit Blanche, but, hopefully, not my last.