Renegade Nuit Blanche 2010

Renegade exhibits at Nuit Blanche 2010

As has been the case since 2008, Les Rues des Refuses (literally "streets of rejects"), has put together a guide to off-program events at Nuit Blanche. Launched by Stephanie Avery, the goal of the guide is to "to promote art without being restricted by curated themes, limited placements, corporate interests, or city bylaws." This year it features over 30 events and exhibits, including a number at galleries across the city.

Offering a genuinely diverse set of projects, Les Rues des Refuses has quite a bit of stuff that'll appeal to those disillusioned with the crowds and relative conservatism of many of the official Nuit Blanche exhibits. Not that the on-program events are necessarily bourgeois or undaring, but with less constraints put on them, the renegade exhibits/installations/events tend to put interactivity and openness at the forefront of their concerns.

Here are five highlights from the list of events:

The Nuit Blanche Renegade Parade
Departing at 10:02 p.m. from the ROM crystal, the 4th annual parade will "sweep through the the city uncovering those most sought-after and desired exhibits." Look for costumes and a rolling soundsystem to keep everyone awake and engaged as participants wind their way through the city. To put it in the organizers' words, "Order is our enemy. Art is our weapon. Expression is our purpose."

Ceci N'est Pas une Ville
The work of Les Rues des Refuses founder, Stephanie Avery, this project takes Nuit Blanche to what I would say is its natural, if putatively radical, conclusion -- to see the the city and its objects as "found art." Riffing on the well-known (but often misunderstood) line from Magritte, "Ceci n'est pas une pipe," Avery will fashion numerous signs that read "Ceci n'est pas ______," which can be linked with "all kinds of public objects."

Chip's Big Night Out II
Similar to last year, Torontoist's Posterchild offers Sakura Chip, a life-sized doll who may be found "at any one of the official Nuit Blanche events or la Rue De Refuse events" or maybe even "left inside a pizzeria!" So if you find Chip, you're asked to document your experiences with him via photographs, which can then be uploaded to Flickr with the tag "Chips Big Night Out."

Nuit Noir II
An arts free-for-all, the second annual Nuit Noir features tekne in a whole whack of media -- various visual art, music, spoken word, and comedy. And, just in case that isn't stimulating enough, there's an all-night coffee service to keep you up! Presented by Project 165.

Les Oiseaux EnlacĂŠs
Taking place at Twist Gallery, The Keyhole Sessions will offer the opportunity for Nuit Blanche revellers "to pull up a sketch pad and draw beautiful models in various states of feathery undress, and expertly tied in the art of Japanese rope bondage, commonly known as shibari." Need I say more? Supplies provided.

For more renegade exhibits, check out the full guide here.


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