Monday, October 6, 2008

A Collision of Culture: Art vs. Sport







Creepy looking statue. From a front-on angle you can see his eyes are rolled back in his head. 

Last night Toronto held its annual sunset to sunrise contemporary art show, appropriately named Nuit Blanche. The series of contemporary art installations throughout the downtown core proved to be quite the attraction as I discovered navigating my way through the throngs of people crowding the streets on my way to my destination- the Ontario Aussie Rules Football League Championship post game party. The Toronto Aussie Rules football team made an unbelievable 4th quarter comeback to win their championship game earlier in the day and I had been invited to the party by a team member who I'd met just that day at the game... uh hello...a room full of Australian "footie" players??? count me in! True to form, the Aussies had arranged for at least two, and possibly three kegs of beer to be flowing freely all night (and by freely I mean both plentifully and FREE!) The house was right in the center of the Nuit Blanch festivities and so our party (and perhaps the free beer) attracted art connoisseurs right off the street! The party hosts had decided to be a bit cheeky and adjust the lighting and the decor of the party room to reflect their own unofficial contribution to Nuit Blanch. Green and brown cardboard covered the walls and guests were encouraged to sign their name on the door cum guest book, and enjoy the politically charged messages written on the walls. A post modern take on university keg party subculture? Possibly. A subversive joke on the nuit blanch patrons who thought our party was an actual exhibit? definitely. Either way we got to enjoy the patronage of Toronto's weird and wild artsy crowd and they got to see our "exhibit" and did I mention the free beer? They drank plenty of that too...all in all a great night was had by all. In lieu of pictures of the event (I avoid taking my v. expensive camera out at night) I will share some pictures of my trip to one of Brazil's most popular contemporary art attractions...the exhibitions at Inhotim. A park, nature reserve and art gallery in the Atlantic Forest amidst the mountains of Minas Gerais not far from Belo Horizonte, where I was visiting my Dad for two weeks this past July. There are separate galleries as well as other works placed in strategic places (side of a building, anyone?) as well as unusual wild life and ahem, garden furniture....  

 
             Even the bathrooms have style!

Not being an "artsy" person myself,  I was astonished at the unexpected appreciation/ goosebumpy feeling I had for this breathtaking art  The photos don't really do the artwork justice but you get the idea. Enjoy!

1 comment:

  1. Wish I could have gone with you! Looks very chic and happening...

    by the way, you done been tagged:

    http://www.annesage.com/blog/2008/10/ive-been-tagg-1.html

    ReplyDelete