Some absolutely stunning Nuit Blanche photos from the 2008 installment in Toronto have been trickling into the blogTO Flickr Pool yesterday and today.

In the one taken by Ryan Coleman above, we see a Nuit Blanche'r looking up at part of Yoko Ono's "Imagine Peace" exhibit in Liberty Village.

And there are lots more to see...

At 5am this morning, and nearing the end of the 2008 Nuit Blanche experience, Dear Toronto captured this visually stunning "phantasmagoric roaming ritual" performance of Quixotic on King St. East in Zone B.



I would have loved to have seen it in person, but I was all walked out and ready to crash after an enjoyable time exploring the many excellent curated works in Liberty Village.

I'm left wondering what other works in Zone B I should have seen, and wishing I had been able to see it all!

Some things you really have to see to believe, especially when it comes to interactive art. So after a 12 hour night-long hike through downtown Toronto, I'm pleased to bring you my slightly sarcastic take on some of the incredible exhibits at this year's Nuit Blanche.

I just wrapped up the first part of my Nuit Blanche in Liberty Village (the southwest part of Zone C). The area is still packed which kind of surprises me given it's not one of the more accessible neighbourhoods by foot or transit.

There's lots to see here beyond the "spoiler" I posted on Friday. At top is Purified by Fire, an installation by Matt Suib that has taken over a number of second and third story windows in the Liberty Market Building. It looks really sharp. All that's missing is a bit of smoke.

Nuit Blanche is full of scheduled, overcrowded events. This year you can participate in a selection of interactive, renegade art that escaped the radar of the official guide.

"The idea started at last year's Nuit Blanche," says Stephanie Avery, the organizer of a collection of events taking place at the same time as official Nuit Blanche activities that are meant as a complement to the evening's regularly scheduled festivities.

"Last year I actually had an official installation in the show, says Avery. "Because I was contractually obliged to stay with my piece, I didn't get to see much of Nuit Blanche. Based on what I had heard, it wasn't nearly as interactive as the first year and the corporate presence sometimes overshadowed the art."

The Art of Time Ensemble is at it again with their Words & Music program, kicking off their 10th anniversary season last night at Harbourfront Centre's Enwave Theatre. I was rather impressed with last season's America and The Black Angel, where Artistic Director Andrew Burashko explored the relationship between literature and music, and this new program continued in that tradition.

Introducing last night's show, CBC's Laurie Brown said that she always attends Art of Time Ensemble concerts because you never know what the hell you're going to see. While Burashko, in his opening comments, dedicated the evening's performance to Stephen Harper and the "fatcat elitist snobs."

Last time I caught an Art of Time Ensemble performance was when Barenaked Ladies' singer Steven Page covered his favourite artists. I was pleasantly surprised by the variety of genres and arrangements given. Last night's program offered another eclectic selection of music inspired by literature and literature inspired by music.