Nuit Blanche, Toronto’s city-wide art spectacular, returns to Toronto in October

Thestar.com
July 29, 2022

Public art festival Nuit Blanche will return to Toronto in October.

From sunset on Oct. 1 until sunrise, more than 50 art exhibits will be installed across the city. The event marks two years since the last in-person Nuit Blanche and the end of ArtworxTO, the city’s self-proclaimed year of public art.

Julie Nagam, the festival’s artistic director, said in a press release Toronto residents can expect exhibits downtown and in Etobicoke, North York and Scarborough.

“(Nuit Blanche) will be an epic return to a full ,public-art takeover of Toronto,” Nagam said.

“We will be showcasing a record number of artists who will be rupturing (sic) our city with incredible installations that are thought-provoking, spectacular and filled with wonder.”

Toronto’s inaugural Nuit Blanche was held in 2006. In 2017, the festival expanded into Scarborough.

In 2020, the festival was held online due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Last year, Nuit Blanche was cancelled altogether.

This year, the festival will return with the theme “The Space between Us.”

Artists are encouraged to create pieces that illustrate their community’s relationship with places, according to Nagam. She added this year’s artworks include light installations, sculptures and inflatable pieces.

Mayor John Tory said, in a press release, he was “thrilled” the 12-hour festival would return this year.

“Nuit Blanche Toronto creates significant artistic and cultural energy in our city,” Tory said.

“I encourage Toronto residents from across the city to take part in this free celebration of art.”