I have been called a pretentious art douche by one of my roommates, but I’m really not. I may be interested in the stuff but I don’t walk up to every expression of creativity and start interpreting hidden symbols and meanings. I do find truth in the quote, “art is anything you can get away with.” (Apparently said first by Marshall McLuhan, not Andy Warhol).

So, maybe we’re alike. We appreciate art but admit we don’t understand or respect every piece we encounter. If that’s the case, and you also think a white canvas with three black squares on it is a piece of crap, then I’m writing this article for you.

There’s an event starting at 6:55pm on Saturday October 3^rd, ending the next morning, and you’re invited.

Originating in Paris 2002, Toronto’s Nuit Blanche is now in its fourth year, offering the city 130 free and accessible contemportary art projects brought to you by almost 500 artists from around the world.

Here are some picks that my roommates and I found interesting, and that can be enjoyed from a non-douchey perspective:

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Being a visual artist, I’ve been asked several times to consider the definition of art as opposed to “non-art”.  At the same time, this question can be asked for other forms of art such as music and dance. As I’m watching “Superstars of Dance” on TV at the moment – yes, excuse me for being a dance TV fan – I feel that it is completely irksome when the judges decide to give certain teams a lower score, as they have defined their performance as “not dance”.

“Superstars of Dance” is another dance show created by Simon Fuller and Nigel Lythgoe, mostly reknowned for their roles as judges in “American Idol” and “So You Think You Can Dance”. The show brings dancers from eight nations together to compete in a contest that would display the culture and dance of each country. As well, each nation must provide a judge for the competition. These judges are usually professional dancers - including a Buddhist monk who is a master at the reknowned Shaolin Temple in China – and are responsible for giving scores out of ten for each performance. To prevent favouritism, judges are not allowed to give scores for performances done by their own country.

However, the multicultural aspect of the competition comes with several complications. (more…)

Ever wonder what happens in the massive historic university building in the center of the island that Spandina Avenue curves around? Well, its one of the main buildings for U of T’s fine arts department and on Thursday, December the 4th everyone will have a chance to see what’s inside it and view the art of all the visual art undergraduates in the annual FASU art exhibition, The Eyeball. They promise great music, cash bar, and great food, along with of course the art. All media, including painting, sculpture, installation, video, drawing, and photography will be on display. It is free and open to the public.

Where: 1 Spadina Crescent, East entrance
When: Dec., 4th, 6 – 10 pm
Price : FREE

What: Scotia Bank Nuit Blanche
Where: All across the city
When: October 4, 2008 from 6:52 pm – sunrise
Website: Nuit Blanche.

Once again it’s almost that magical time when art permeates the entire city from the streets to the galleries, and just about anywhere you can imagine. It will be for one night only, but it will last all night long. This grand tradition of art for the people started in Paris and spread to Brussels and then through cities all over the world. Two years ago it landed in our fair city, and on October 4 from 6:52 pm ’till sunrise, the third Toronto edition will take place simultaneously, but for timezones, with Nuit Blanche in Paris and Brussels.

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