Caverne St-Clair 20012 was visited by more than 700 people during Toronto's Nuit Blanche, September 29-30, 2012. Visitors listened to explanations of artifacts found at the site, received a 35mm slide badge, read fragments of lost texts, rode on lookUP cars to view images from 18,000 years ago on the ceiling of the Caverne, and absorbed the vibrations of Orgone played on the restored pipe organ.
144 Nuit Blanche visitors left comments about their experience:
Artifacts / fragments
- Great artifacts! This must have been a wonderful culture of individuals.
- What a creative installation...really thought that 2012 was a primitive point in time!
- I traveled back in time from the year 30,042 to study how citizens of Quora 75-B13 (20012 AD) studied Torontonians of 2012. In the future we have less colour. I am jealous.
- Remembering culture I didn't know I used to have.
- What strange and wonderful lives these Toronto people lived!
lookUP cars / Carousel of Carousels
- I feel dizzy but I wasn't spinning...yeah...it was...I don't have the right words.
- Looking at an exhibit lying down does make the act of looking much different.
- I really enjoyed the flashlight. It puts you in the "detective" mode.
- Loved the carousel of carousels!
- Retour à l'enfance, mon enfance et celle de l'humanité bientôt. Superbe concept!
Ancient pipe organ / Orgone
- Absolutely beautiful! Sounds concept, the mysterious cave of wonder!
- The sound seems to reverberate through the ages.
- The understanding of the pipe organ and the way it functions was truly interesting.
- An altering experience taking me into wild and relaxing places.
- I could listen to the soundscape all night long.
- Why our organ must be saved!
.... summing it up
- Totally cool to experience...and cookies
Caverne St-Clair 20012 was created by John Shipman, Mani Mazinani, and Veronica Clarke-Hanik. Sparked by Veronica's idea of pilgrimage, John developed the exhibition, lookUp cars and the Carousel of Carousels. Mani composed Orgone for the pipe organ which he performed with the assistance of Tony Hanik. Veronica made the slide pins, animated the exhibits, and recruited and led the volunteers that made the presentation of Caverne St-Clair possible. Joy Shipman—graphic design. Clara Shipman—design and fabrication. Dr. Paul Jessen—technical assistance, organ. Harry Vance—technical assistance, electrical. Andy Wight—technical assistance, electrical. Wil Moll—technical assistance,electronics. Dan Eylon—technical assistance, mechanical; design/construction of small rotating platforms. Liz Shipman, Tony Hanik, Sheila Moll—35mm slides.
Event volunteers: Diana Abraham, Nikki Abraham, Andrea Beranek, Doug Bond, Tiffani Brass, Kyra Chantal, Luna Ciandre, Rebecca Duquet, Patrick Gallagher, Andrew Hanik, Josef Hanik, Tony Hanik, Isaiah Huntsman Merker, Kira Huntsman Merker, Lara Huntsman, David Jenkins, Anais Malena, Clara Shipman, Emilie Shipman Wight, Liz Shipman, Victoria Shipman, Marcelle St-Amant, Tessa Stephens, Susanne Tabur, Kathryn Tate, Jenna Teece Soter, Sonya Teece.
Thanks to St. Matthew's United Church for hosting their seventh Nuit Blanche project: Rev. Lauren Hodgson, Rev. Katherine Brittain, Sheila Moll, Renwick Burnett, Xing Zhang, Sonya Teece, Kathryn Tate.
7 October 2012