Nuit Blanche Field Reports from Montreal Rampage Writers

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After taking in the breathtaking sight at the dazzling Place des Arts, I slid across downtown Montreal full of lights, pleasure and laughter. La Nuit Blanche opened its era of dizziness and I took it in open-heartedly. The Biodome and Olympic Stadium featured public-awareness shows featuring three birds of prey and we flew into the night with hooting owls and snow crystals showering down on our heads. Then came time for a little stroll among ice statues and thus I warmed my frozen hands above a nice fire next to a gentle crowd dancing to the rhythm of a wall display. I joined the fun and stayed up all night dancing. – Mylène Chevreul

I decided to hit the Belgo building for Nuit Blanche as Place des Arts. My theory was that I’d start at the Belgo and then move on to Place des Arts or Club Soda or Metorpolis and then end my night watching The Clock at the MAC. Well, I never got past the Belgo building. As expected, there’s always a good party going on, with interesting installations, participatory art projects, and randomness. I drifted from floor to floor, getting sucked into singing along at mock union meeting for a recreated sweatshop, lying on a pillow to watch short films as part of the Edgy Women festival, belting out some French cowboy karaoke, trying to win some art prizes at a mock carnival. When I finally had my fill of art, mon dieu, it was approaching dawn. — Rachel Levine

 

Place des Arts was nothing short of a spectacular light show, bustling with people and entertainment during the week of Montreal en Lumiere and Nuit Blanche! This year I spent Saturday’s night long festival with friends cruising the area and venturing through many of the underground walkways discovering Art Souterrian.

Debuting in 2009, Art Souterrian (Underground Art), is all about presenting and popularising contemporary art here in Montreal. Promoting local artists, and their works, the exhibition opened in time for Nuit Blanche and runs through until March 16th. Free for all to discover, anytime, Art Souterrian features over 100 hundred works across 7km of Montreal’s underground tunnels. With so many different pieces there are plenty of interesting pieces to be discovered along the journey! It was a great way to spend the evening in celebration of Montreal and its creativity!

Art Souterrian runs from March 1st to March 16th in the underground network, Montreal. Maps can be founds online at www.artsouterrain.com. The event is free. – Annie Shreeve