Nuit Blanche exhibits start to pop up around Toronto

While 2013's Nuit Blanche doesn't officially take over Toronto until Saturday evening, some exhibits are already popping up around the city due in part to the amount of time required to build the installations, such as Ai Weiwei's Forever Bicycles at Nathan Phillips Square. As much attention as that piece is getting, so far a second huge installation is making waves downtown: an amphitheatre or beehive-like structure assembled out of stacked chairs, benches and garden furniture outside of Metropolitan United Church just west of Queen and Church streets.

This is Tadashi Kawamata's Garden Tower, which is part of Nuit Blanche's Off to a Flying Start zone. Working with materials that gesture to Marcel Duchamp's readymades, the Japanese artist has constructed a visually arresting sculpture that's sure to prove one of the most talked about at this year's event. Inspired by the idea of a utopian Tower of Babel, the installation provides a space for gathering and is meant to act as a home for discussion. As the exhibit is currently fenced off, it remains to be seen how exactly it will be used on the big night, but one suspects that it may host performances of some sort (impromptu or otherwise). Let's just hope some drunk bro doesn't knock the whole thing over.

As the week goes on, expect more and more sightings of curious artworks to pop up around Toronto. Let us know what you've seen so far in the comments.