What to catch at the 15th edition of Nuit Blanche on March 3
As part of the Montréal en Lumière festival, the annual celebration of Nuit Blanche encourages the Montreal community to see what local galleries and venues have to offer. The festivities extend well into the early hours of the morning, and almost all events and activities in collaboration with Nuit Blanche—over 200 in total—are offered free of charge. It also includes a seven-kilometre outdoor circuit lined with art installations and projects, called Art Souterrain. It’s definitely worth braving the cold for.
DHC/ART: thegiftsofthegifted with Projets hybris
451 and 465 St-Jean St.
Located in the heart of Old Montreal, DHC/ART is a must-see gallery during Nuit Blanche. The space sits at the end of a strip of galleries that run along the canal (Galerie Michel-Ange, M Galerie d’art and Galerie LeRoyer, to name a few), so it would be the perfect beginning or conclusion to a leisurely stroll down the cobblestones.
For its contribution to the festivities, DHC/ART is teaming up with local “interdisciplinary creation company” Projets hybris. Their collaborative exhibition, which was inspired by the gallery’s past exhibitions, L’OFFRE and Bill Viola: Naissance à rebours, will be interactive and performative. According to the gallery’s press release, “throughout the evening, the audience’s participation will have an impact on the performers’ gestures. Materials and objects will be fiddled with, deconstructed, assembled; fragments of conversations will be noted and transformed.” This unique exhibition will only be on display for a week following Nuit Blanche, so be sure to catch it while it’s up!
Ymuno Exhibitions: The Dollhouse at the End of the World
372 Ste-Catherine St. W., Studio #530
Ymuno Exhibitions, a gallery space run by two Concordia alumni, will be opening its doors for the public to experience its current exhibition, The Dollhouse at the End of the World. This installation was created by the IFPP Collective (Incubator for Phantom Pregnancies), which is comprised of local artists Dana Dal Bo, Emily Jan, Csenge Kolozsvari, Tammy Salzl and Sandra Smirle. The all-female group met while completing their MFAs at Concordia, and have since been combining forces to produce unique and engaging content. Each of the women specializes in a different type of art practice, which makes their collective work especially intriguing. The exhibition’s press release boasts that “the work tackles the state of the world today, […] to give birth to a recombined apocalyptic aesthetic.”
Espace POP: (Dis)CONNECT: Alienation and Art
5587 Park Ave.
As part of this year’s edition of the Art Matters festival, Espace POP will host an exhibition featuring the work of Joffré Roy-Beauregard, Sarah Da Silva Marques, Diana Lazzaro (Gar), Matthew Halpenny, Gabrielle Marin, Timothy Thomasson and Owen Coolidge. Nuit Blanche will serve as the exhibition’s vernissage, which will run from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. The event’s description invites visitors to engage in “an interactive space for creativity and dialogue.” This event will kick off the Art Matters festival, which will include a variety of exhibitions and events running until March 27. More information can be found on the festival’s website.
Eastern Bloc & Never Apart: Noche en Blanco, Latinx (Re)mix
7240 Clark St.
Eastern Bloc, a new media production and gallery space, is teaming up with the non-profit organization Never Apart to showcase the talents of Latin-American artists in two parts. From 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., there will be two multimedia installations; the first is a video titled 1000 by photographer and artist Andrés Salas, and the second is a multimedia installation titled Holy Numbers made by artist Claude Périard. From 10 p.m. to 4 a.m., the space will transition into the aural portion of the evening. DJs, including DEBIT, Pituca Putica, Teo Zamudio and Rodrigo Velasco, will create a lively and warm environment featuring “Latino and club beats,” according to the gallery’s press release. This would be a great place to warm up and recharge after a night out in the cold!
For more information about Nuit Blanche and a full list of participating venues, visit the festival’s website.
Graphic by Zeze Le Lin