This Nuit Blanche, we are also partnering with MOCA, Toronto Biennial of Art and Pride Toronto for an evening of diverse programming related to this year’s theme, breaking ground. join MOCA Toronto for activations highlighting exhibitions by Phyllida Barlow (Ground Floor), Liz Magor (Floor 2) and The Wedge Collection (Floor 3). Floors 2 and 3 of the museum will be open to the public until 9:00 p.m. , while visitors are welcome to explore Barlow’s work Eleven Columns on the Ground Floor, as well as enjoy the museum’s exterior lightbox installation for the duration of the night on Saturday, September 23, until 7 a.m. on Sunday, September 24. The evening will feature a newly commissioned performance mother wheel, offered in partnership with the Toronto Biennial of Art, by movement artist Katie Adams-Gossage. The performance will draw on some of the textures, positions and attitudes of the exhibitions. Viewers will also have the opportunity to enjoy Hanlan’s: Out of the Closet offered by Pride Toronto within their event space on Floor 5 co-presented by Friends of Hanlan’s, featuring a new installation by Irene Ly and DJ Set from DJ Alain

Schedule 

7pm–7am 

MOCA’s Ground Floor and exterior space will be open to the public from 7pm – 7am for the entire duration of Nuit Blanche. Enjoy MOCA’s ground floor exhibition Phyllida Barlow: Eleven Columns and MOCA’s exterior lightbox installation, negotiating space with memories of fluid landscapes by Isabel Okoro. 

Similarly, visitors can also join Pride Toronto on Floor 5 for Hanlan’s: Out of the Closet, an exhibition which engages 2SLGBTQI+ narratives as they intertwine with the natural world, and examines the historical importance of Hanlan’s Point Beach as an integral part of Toronto’s queer histories. Featuring archival materials, as well as a new installation work by Irene Ly.

7–9 pm 

Enjoy our exhibitions located on Floors 2 and 3. The second floor features Liz Magor: The Separation while the third floor features The Wedge Collection: Dancing in the Light. 

7–9 pm 

MOCA Toronto and the Toronto Biennial of Art are pleased to offer a site-specific performance by dance artist, Katie Adams-Gossage. The work is titled mother wheel and will take place on MOCA’s Ground Floor. 

10 pm–2 am 

Join Pride Toronto on Floor 5 for a DJ set from DJ Alain, free refreshments, and live model performance art.

Hanlan’s: Out of the Closet

Co-Presented by Friends of Hanlan’s

Pride Toronto proudly presents the captivating exhibition “Hanlan’s: Out of the Closet” as part of Nuit Blanche 2023, embracing this year’s theme of “Breaking Ground.” Rooted in the natural world and propelling forward change and innovation, the exhibition converges with the historic and transformative landscape of Hanlan’s Point Beach. Hanlan’s is Canada’s oldest surviving queer space with nearly a century of queer history. In 1971, Canada’s first ever Pride gathering, the Gay Day Picnic, took place on the beach, and in the present day, thousands of queer people make the pilgrimage to Hanlan’s Point every week throughout the summer.  

This exhibition marks a pivotal moment in Hanlan’s Point Beach’s journey. Recent events and rallied our communities, with groups of activists like Friends of Hanlan’s working to preserve this space and its histories. Join us as we celebrate Hanlan’s Point Beach, including art installation, archival photos and print materials, live model performance art, historical information, a DJ and projections. Immerse yourself in this installation and exhibition where nature intertwines with the 2SLGBTQI+ narrative, embodying change, resilience, and unity, as we celebrate Hanlan’s past, present and future at this unique one-night-only exhibition.

Featuring a new installation by Irene Ly and DJ Set from DJ Alain