The CCA Shows Us The World
If you feel like having a highly multicultural Nuit Blanche, check out the Canadian Centre for Architecture. The CCA has a world buffet of culture: the UK, the Balkan region, Japan, the Middle East, and North Africa.
The CCA’s night starts off at 7 p.m. with a one-hour interactive workshop that aims to model activity from UK cities called BedZED. BedZED stands for the Beddington Zero Energy Development housing project from Hackbridge, London. The CCA has turned this housing project into a family-friendly activity that entails transforming a large-scale urban grid to reflect one’s movement through the city. Then, head off to Tama New Town — a karaoke party follows, paying homage to Japan. The party lasts until 2 a.m. and is run by Vice editor Raf Katigbak.
In another part of the museum, the bookstore to be precise, the Vues d’Afrique festival collaborates with the CCA to bring in poets and other performers with a Haitian and African background.
POP Montreal joins with the CCA to bring the ever popular Balkan Gypsy gang over to Shaughnessy House. The space transforms into a Belgrade dance club with DJ Touski on the decks and Caroline Blais of Chocobeets in charge of the visuals. Touski hops off at 10:30, when the band Kaba Horo comes in for some eastern European gypsy band action. DJ Touski returns at midnight, with Marion Carrassou-Maillan (VJ Ma) providing the visuals.
But that’s not all. Lili Sweet provides a henna tattoo parlor from 9 to midnight.
Of course, while the party rages, visitors can wander through the museum’s two exhibitions. Casablanca and Chandigarh looks at the effect of foreign assistance in urban development. Photographing the 19th century Arabic City is a series of early photographs about the haram and the halal.
The CCA Nuit Blanche takes place March 1 at the CCA (1920 Rue Baile) from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. Admission is free.
