Scotiabank Nuit Blanche Toronto 2010
Visitors made a surprising 217 entries in the four comment books available during the 12-hour, night-long presentation of All Night I Mourned Myself: when I am gone what will be said? Approximately 600 people made their way to Toronto's farthest north Scotiabank Nuit Blanche project at St. Matthew's Church on St. Clair Avenue West. While most arrived between 7 pm and 1 am, 20 visitors stopped by between 6 and 7 am. Visitors in 2010 almost doubled 2009's total number of visitors to the same location.
Seven people indicated that All Night was the best or one of the best Nuit Blanche projects they had seen. Eighty seven visitors found the installation moving, engaging, powerful, profound, awesome, beautiful, very good, really enjoyable, magical.
Twenty nine people commented on more abstract aspects of life and death, 11 referred to someone they were mourning and 10 commented about attending their own funeral. That one third of the visitors commented suggests All Night evoked a strong response.
Comments ranged from the agonizingly personal — one visitor filled a page with a list of 28 friends, relatives and pets that had died — to a few hard to decipher drawings.
Visitor comments:
The entire experience was fantastic. Very moving. It was difficult to leave the pew! The music was beautiful, the words beautiful, the photos too! Amazing work.
Beautiful installation. Very peaceful and thought-provoking. The computerized voices captured the mood brilliantly.
This was a great piece! The music made me sad but had happy moments to keep me in neutral thought. It's great to displace yourself for a few moments and put some thought into such a meaningful idea. Great work.
It was genius. Made me think of my late grandma, and made me run off. It was very interesting either way and very mind-blowing.
A very good project, very deep meaningful perspective into the deep individual way of dealing and conceptualizing one’s death and its perspective. One of the only pieces I saw this year which was able to convey a deep meaning which can be both spiritual and which can connect with any religion and ethnic background. Sorry, I just loved it. Hope to see more in the future.
Thanks to St. Matthew's for an innovative use of your church — wonderful installation and well done — keep it up!
Very unique, interesting, beautiful and inspiring. Thank you for your work. Best piece at Nuit Blanche!
Cool idea. Next time let us choose our gender.
Originally posted 24 November 2010
Full report available on request.
Poster: Joy Shipman