Here's what's Queer at Nuit Blanche This Weekend

You know how sometimes Toronto is a lot of fun?... well this upcoming weekend is one of those times. It's Nuit Blanche, bitches! The FREE, all-night contemporary art thing is back for round 19 starting Saturday, October 4 at 7pm and ending at 7am the next day.

There are many big art things happening all over the GTA, many of them will be fun for IG, but you'll see them on all your hetero friends' feeds. We've assembled the queer happenings we know of (thanks to a little help from Imane at the City of Toronto!) in case you just want to keep things GAY.

Happy art hopping!

Downtown Exhibition - Poetic Justice

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the sound of lions in Chinatown - Hannia Cheng  
393 Dundas St W

"In the 1950s, Toronto’s first Chinatown was expropriated and razed to build City Hall. A decade later, community activist Jean Lumb and the Save Chinatown Committee formed to successfully stop another wave of violent erasure. At the same time, the emergence of martial arts societies demonstrated another form of strength in Chinatown. Inspired by this campaign and the bravado of kung fu clubs, "the sound of lions in Chinatown" reimagines the use of the traditional paifang (village gates) as access points into the neighbourhood’s historical and contemporary fight against displacement."
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PROTECT THE SACRED VOICE - Demian DinéYazhi’
100 Queen St W

“PROTECT THE SACRED VOICE” utilizes text statements and phrases liberated from the artist’s social media posts. They are printed using graphic, bold design and finished in vibrant ombré colour palettes."

FOR THE YOUTH - Alexis Nanibush-Pamajewong
361 University Ave - 361 University Ave

"A powerful, immersive installation and participatory gathering that honours the youth of Tsi’ Tkaronto and communities across Turtle Island. Open to all nations and cultures, this event features round dances and youth performers— shared circles of unity and belonging — interwoven with vibrant performances by local youth dancers, including hoop, jingle dress, shawl, and fancy dancers."

The Eye of Wisdom - Ellen Pau
Armoury St & Chestnut St - 100 Queen St W

"Take in the healing and spiritual properties of light in this large-scale projection mapping that shines down on downtown Toronto.

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Etobicoke Exhibition - From here, there, everywhere

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Undersight - Cassils
Colonel Samuel Smith Park Skating Trail - 2 Colonel Samuel Smith Park

Whoa... "Using Morse code and a high-powered beam of light, a list of words deemed suspect by US federal agencies is blasted into the night sky."

See Me From a Distance: Travesti Billboards / Me Vejam de Longe: Outdoors Travesti / Regarde-moi de loin: Panneaux travesti / Mírame de lejos: Carteleras travesty- Sy Gomes, Roberta Kaya

5 Years at Home - Laurence Philomène
Humber Polytechnic - G Cottage - 205 Humber College Blvd, Etobicoke

This piece "invites audiences to enter a living space where they will be immersed in a cozy, colourful environment inspired by the artist’s home. They can also engage in an autobiographical film chronicling Philomene’s evolving sense of self as a non-binary person taking testosterone over a period of five years."

The Places We Carry - Alize Zorlutuna
Colonel Samuel Smith Park - 3145 Lake Shore Blvd W, Etobicoke

“The Places We Carry” is a site-specific, participatory installation of embellished fabric panels, strings of evil eye beads, cultural artifacts gathered from community, and sound.

Throughout Nuit Blanche, visitors will be invited to engage with the installation by tying torn fabric strips within it, while reflecting on a guiding prompt. This prompt asks participants to consider the grief we carry as people living in diaspora on Indigenous land and as witnesses to the world’s current state."

North Exhibition - Collective Composition

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S'imbriquer - Philippe Dépelteau
Mel Lastman Square Orchard - 5100 Yonge St

"The title of this work, “S’imbriquer”, (sahn-bree-kay) comes from a French word meaning to ‘interlink’ or ‘intentionally come together.’ It considers ideas of interconnectedness and collaboration. A landscape of bricks comes to life through a shared, intimate choreography, where bodies and materials become living architecture."

Lamination 1.0 - Studio Rat (Emily Allan & Dom Di Libero)
North York Centre, 5150 Yonge St

"Lamination 1.0” is a large-scale, suspended installation by Studio Rat that transforms discarded plastics into a vibrant quilt-like artwork, exploring collective agency in the process."

The Nuit Blanche Remote Access Hub - Tangled Art + Disability and friends
North York Central Public Library - 5120 Yonge St.

"Tangled Art + Disability invites you to explore Nuit Blanche through a hybrid experience — whether you're onsite or joining from afar. Our Remote Access Hub offers a live broadcast hosted by members of the disability art community, streaming online.. This intervention reimagines accessibility as a cultural practice, challenging the notion that the festival must be experienced exclusively in person.

Throughout the night, our hosts will guide you through the festival, sharing personal experiences and engaging with installations across the city."

Independent Projects

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WISHING WELL: ALPHABET SOUP - xLq, Elizabeth Staples and Stella Conway
Buddies in Bad Times Theatre - 12 Alexander St

"An immersive, interactive installation with a dance party inside. Every area of Buddies in Bad Times will be filled with letters to unscramble and play with. They have DJs all night, performances, and are also serving alphabet soup! This special-edition and presentation of WISHING WELL is in partnership with xLq Pop Art Performance and Buddies in Bad Times Theatre. WISHING WELL is a queer, witchy dance party ritual. A divine feminine space for freaks and friends to gather, play and connect. Look for the WISHING WELLS in the bathrooms. Make a wish. All your wishes will come true."

Letters to Your Ex - WhyWithCai
Waterworks Food Hall - 50 Brant St

"An intimate installation of letters to exes from around the world, inviting you to reflect on heartbreak, share your own story and feel less alone. What would you tell your ex if you could say one thing to them?"

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Disappearing Acts - Nina Jeffares-Levitt
Sonkofa Square (formerly Yonge Dundas Square)

A video dance party at Sankofa Square from 7pm-7am. DJs will play from 7pm - 11pm. "Levitt’s video commemorates bygone bars and nightclubs that were once the heart and soul of Toronto’s gay and lesbian communities during decades of essential nightlife. Some were short-lived, others decades strong—all were safe havens where we met lovers, where friendships were forged, and where LGBTQ2+ spirits soared.

From the longstanding St. Charles Tavern, Boots, Chez Moi and The Rose to lesser-known haunts, these establishments helped to shape queer identity and health. Factors like the AIDS crisis, urban gentrification, Covid-19, and social media have all contributed to their disappearance. Memories of these spaces are fading, especially as generations age and landmarks are lost to redevelopment."

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Check out ALL the art things at the City of Toronto Nuit Blanche homepage.

Lead image for this blog post is by Demian DinéYazhi

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