Nuit Blanche exhibit dominates Nathan Phillips Square
The giant white sphere spotted near City Hall on Monday is part of ‘Death of the Sun’ art project.

thestar.com
By Alicja Siekierska
Sept. 26, 2016

As Janelle Deaker, visiting the city from New Zealand, took photos of the Toronto sign in Nathan Phillips Square, she stared inquisitively at the giant white orb behind it.

“I have no idea what it is,” she said Monday as she shrugged her shoulders. “I assume it’s always been there.”

Tethered to the front of City Hall, the white globe, 45 feet in diameter, prompted many onlookers - tourists and locals alike - to stop and gawk. A few, naturally, took a selfie with it.

The orb was an eye-catching reminder for Torontonians that Nuit Blanche is just around the corner. It’s part of “Death of the Sun,” a contemporary art project that’s the brainchild of Director X, the veteran Toronto music-video director behind Drake’s “Hotline Bling.”

The all-night artistic and cultural festival takes place Saturday night, with installations, talks and tours across the city. Kristine Germann, the programming manager for the city’s cultural events department, said Director X’s exhibit has been years in the making.

In 2012, the city commissioned Janine Marchessault and Michael Prokopow to curate an exhibition called “Museum for the End of the World.” Four years later, the prominent pair is offering a second part with “Oblivion,” the exhibition that is anchored by Director X’s giant ball.

“This particular project really demonstrates and talks about the journey of the birth, life, and death of the sun,” said Germann, adding that it will feature a 12-minute video that shows the sun’s 12-billion-year progression.

“It’s an exciting exhibit, marrying filmmakers coming from popular culture with two of the most highly regarded curators from the contemporary art field.”

Director X, whose music-video career began in 1998 and has seen him direct the clips for Iggy Azalea’s “Fancy” and Rihanna’s “Work” among many others, said in a statement that the installation is “intended to portray the death of the star that sustains us.”

“Although we all know that our earth is a tiny little rock in comparison to our sun, a true comprehension of this immense reality is difficult to grasp,” the 40-year-old director - born Julien Lutz - said on the Nuit Blanche website.

“Whether people realize it or not, our countries, currencies, trade agreements and geopolitical conflicts are all social constructs and are essentially purposeless in the great long haul.”

On Monday afternoon, just steps from orb, stood Cierra Andrews and Lucee MacLean, two eager volunteers who are studying arts and administration at Humber College. The pair was peppered with questions of “what the heck is this” by curious passers-by throughout the day, said MacLean.

“Once it’s together, it’s going to be unbelievable,” she said. “It’ll be interactive. There’s going to be sounds and ambience. It’s going to be a very emotional, heart-touching experience.”