Into the night and beyond Nuit Blanche extends reach as artists light up the city By: Eva Wasney  Posted: 7:00 PM CDT Wednesday, Sep. 22, 2021 Last Modified: 9:06 AM CDT Thursday, Sep. 23, 2021 Updates

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Nuit Blanche Winnipeg kicks off Friday and organizers have done their darndest to ensure the annual art party is virtually pandemic-proof.

Last year’s all-night event — which was set to take place in late September — was revamped at the 11th hour to meet public health guidelines.

“We didn’t want a repeat of that,” says Jennifer Cheslock, general manager of Culture Days Manitoba, which organizes Nuit Blanche. “So we thought early about how we could present an opportunity for artists to share their work and audiences to check out art installations in a way that would still be able to go forward, no matter the situation.”

Instead of cramming everything into one night, Nuit Blanche will again join Culture Days in a month-long celebration from Sept. 24 to Oct. 24. The majority of events will be presented outdoors, online or as window displays viewable from the street.

Paul Robles is hoping to bring some entertainment back to Old Market Square by way of giant inflatable monkeys.

“It’s normally a lively area, but it’s been quiet for the last (18) months,” says Robles, who is known for his intricate cut paper artwork. “That was kind of intriguing to me.”

See Hear Speak is made up of four 15-foot-tall inflatable sculptures emblazoned with black and red primates climbing on top of each other. The installation, funded by the Winnipeg Arts Council, will be open to the public day and night between Sept. 25 and Oct. 3.

This is Robles’ first time making inflatable art; though, he’s always been fascinated by the whimsy of the medium.

“It’s a totally different way of working — it’s very epic,” he says, adding that his wall art tends to be quite pensive. “You sort of have to stare at them for a while, whereas this inflatable is sort of jolly and fun.”

Robles is working with a manufacturer in Ontario to bring the design to life.

Long-distance collaboration is a new experience for the visual artist, who is used to working solo and cutting his work by hand.

But new feels good right now. Robles lost his art studio — and much of his work — in the July 2019 warehouse fire on Jarvis Avenue. As a result, he’s spent the pandemic playing with new mediums and reinventing his style.

“It was a silver lining because I kind of started over,” he says. “I’m actually having a lot of fun and I’m rediscovering a lot of my interests.”

A new pandemic routine is also what inspired local artist hannah_g to create Waterline — a video dance performance that will be projected onto a partially submerged screen in The Forks harbour from Sept. 24 to 26.

The calm of her early morning walks along the Assiniboine River were regularly interrupted by fish jumping, ducks splashing and bubbles floating up from the depths.

“I was really beguiled by the river and the amount of activity on it,” she says. “One morning, I just had this really strong vision… of a projection of dancers looking as if they’re coming in and out of the water.”

Hannah, former director of Winnipeg’s aceartinc gallery, worked with local choreographer Rachel Cooper to realize her vision. The project was funded by the Manitoba Arts Council and filmed with a small crew over two days at the Gas Station Theatre — which kindly allowed them to build a pool in the venue.

The resulting film will run on a loop after sundown from 8 to 11 p.m. all weekend. While Waterline wasn’t purpose-built for Nuit Blanche, Hannah is glad to be taking part.

“It feels really well-managed and it feels like a gentle way to invite people to have their imaginations replenished,” she says. “These little pockets of the unexpected feed us in a way that I think is really important — and I think that’s been missed.”

There are 33 events taking place under the Nuit Blanche Winnipeg banner this year and more than 144 Culture Days events registered across the province. Last year, roughly 38,000 Manitobans attended the festivities — down from 67,000 in 2019 — and general manager Jennifer Cheslock is hopeful Culture Days will rebound in the future.

“It’s so important, the role that arts and culture play in well-being,” she says. “We’re glad to be able to present this small opportunity for Winnipeggers and Manitobans… to get some of that back in their lives.”

Visit culturedays.ca/en/mb for a full list of events.

eva.wasney@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @evawasney

Eva Wasney
Arts Reporter

Eva Wasney is a reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press.

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