A recap of 12 Hours of Power

The 2009 edition of Nuit Blanche did not start off fortuitously. Shortly after setting up 12 Hours of Power in Berczy Park, a thunderstorm hit Toronto, drenching the entire project and blowing one of the lights into the fountain. One of the inverter batteries also went up, literally, in smoke when it was turned on after the storm. It made me think enviously of all the Nuit Blanche exhibitions that took place indoors.

By 7:30pm, the rain had stopped and a steady flow of people came to participate in 12 Hours of Power. Sometimes, attendees had to be coaxed onto the bike; a few insisted on remaining spectators. Fortunately, the majority of the visitors jumped onto the bikes without reservation and got very excited about powering their light bulb or water spout. It was interesting to hear participants express a preference for either the light bulb, which directly reflected the amount of pedaling effort, or the fountain, which required less effort for more spectacular results.

A small portion of attendees were vocal about their disappointment in the project. They had expected a more spectacular display and were put off by the lackluster light that their efforts generated. To those detractors, I would point out that a muted fountain display was pretty much guaranteed and part of the message. Berczy Park fountain requires great amounts of electricity to maintain and only a park full of pedal generators could have recreated the display that Torontonians are used to.

Attendees who got the project's message were very supportive of increased environmental awareness. A few actually proposed making the project a permanent fixture at Berczy Park so that the fountain need never be a wasteful display again. It was not an idea that ever occurred to me but I was impressed with their zeal.

The crowds pretty much petered off at 3am and the attendance was sporadic thereafter. This was preferable to my fear that we would be inundated by crowds of rowdy drunks coming from the clubs and bars that descended on previous Nuit Blanche events after 2am.

My experience as an exhibitor with Nuit Blanche was a very exciting but satisfying experience. After planning over the last nine months, it was great to finally see my ideas in action and the reaction of the public - good and bad.

Desktop image: 12 Hours of Power was great!

I am extremely happy with the execution and feedback for 12 Hours of Power. Thank you to everyone who participated but special gratitude goes out to Jessica Chow, the Live Green Toronto staff and volunteers, Jon Levy, Sophia Wang, Raymond Chow and Joe Sinbandhit. Anecdotal details to follow when I am more collected and coherent.

12 Hours of Power on Torontoist

Torontoist has featured 12 Hours of Power in "Your Nuit Blanche 2009 Guide". Thanks, Torontoist! As they mention, spandex biking shorts are not required, but will be admired by volunteers and attendees alike.

From one blog to another

Corina of BlogTO decided to include 12 Hours of Power in her Nuit Blanche 2009 Guide of top picks. Thanks, Corina! I really hope the project does not disappoint, though a disappointing result is one of the points of the piece.

See you at Berczy Park on October 3

With less than a week before Nuit Blanche takes place, there is still time for a last minute emergency. For now, the pedal generators are ready, the Toronto Environmental Volunteers are pumped and I am already losing sleep from anticipation.

Please come out to Berczy Park, 35 Wellington St. East, anytime between 6:55pm on October 3 and 7:00am on October 4.

If you like what you see or experience, please vote for 12 Hours of Power in the People's Choice competition, until October 9. The project code number is 'B 22'.

See you there!

Give it up for Live Green Toronto

With 15 days to go before Nuit Blanche, I am still busily preparing for the event, but I am confident that 12 Hours of Power will be in effect on October 3.

At this point, I would like to thank my sponsor, Live Green Toronto. One could not ask for a more respectful and accommodating financial backer. However, their assistance has not been solely monetary; the organization has shared their other resources with me, providing contacts that helped make the hunt for equipment easier. Most importantly, their volunteers will be the shadowy figures beside each pedal generator, helping to make the magic happen on the night of the event.

Visit their website, www.livegreentoronto.ca, a one-stop resource for more environmentally conscious living.

Desktop image: 12 Hours of Power

The pedal generators have finally arrived! With just over a month before Nuit Blanche, I am starting to feel optimistic about 12 Hours of Power.

I have started a Facebook event page, in an attempt to spread the word about 12 Hours of Power. My sponsor, Live Green Toronto, will also help with promotion in the coming month. A public shaming is pretty much guaranteed at this point so I am now fully committed to the endeavor.

The latest 'desktop image' is a mock up of 12 Hours of Power as requested by Nuit Blanche organizers for media purposes. The cyclist is someone I photographed at University and College during the first Nuit Blanche back in 2006. I hope he feels flattered, and not litigious, by the use of his image.

My favourite type of craft

I am excited about an upcoming exhibition at the University of Toronto Art Centre, Gord Peteran: Furniture Meets Its Maker (September 8 to December 5, 2009). The retrospective will feature non-functional furniture, made both from scratch as well as found objects.

There will always be a market for fine handmade functional furniture but my personal preference is for craft objects like Peteran's that refuse to fade into the background of everyday life.

Peteran's work is described as "quite distinct from craft" but I question the author's definition of craft. Even under the usual definition of "an art, trade, or occupation requiring special skill, especially manual skill," there is nothing to preclude Peteran's work or any other crafted object that is conceptual or non-functional, from being classified as 'craft'

Perhaps I am overly sensitive about the snobbish distinction that is often made between craft and art. With the growing presence of the hand in many contemporary art works, I believe the distinction between craft and art is increasingly blurry.

Another Toronto - Reykjavik connection

As a reader of Toronto Craft Alert, my eyes grew wide recently when I saw the article, "Exhibition: Washerwomen at Start Art Gallery (Reykjavik)". Having visited the gallery and the city recently, I was eager to read up on a fellow Torontonian's experience of Start Art.

Washerwomen does sound fascinating, touching on the subjects that interest me: public interaction, craft and feminism. I only wish my visit had coincided with this exhibition. During my own visit at the end of April, I found the paintings on display at Start Art uninspiring but, as the writer mentions in the article, the old house that serves as the gallery's venue is fascinating for an outsider since it was the closest thing to stepping into a private residence.

Looking at the article's photo of Laugavegur, the main shopping street (seen above), makes me pine for Reykjavik.

Desktop image: Erró in Reykjavik

My latest 'desktop image' was taken during my recent trip to Iceland.  At the Listasafn Reykjavíkur (Reykjavik Art Museum), the permanent Erró exhibition was complemented by the Erró game, which featured soft fabric cubes serving as puzzle pieces that ultimately illustrate the Erró paintings hanging in the same room.  A fun time was had by all, even my non-artsy companions.

Be still my heart

After some delay due to miscommunication, it looks like my Independent Project proposal for Nuit Blanche 2009, 12 Hours of Power, has been accepted. I had wondered, prior to submitting my application, whether I would be happier if my proposal was successful or not. At this point, I would have to say, "Check back with me on October 3."

Starting after a month's delay, I am suffering the nervous energy of being under the gun to get the project started. I need to:

• secure and confirm my project's venue
• find an electrician
• start building a prototype pedal generator

Updates on the progress of 12 Hours of Power and the accompanying hang-wringing to come.

Virtually handmade

My article, "Virtually handmade" has been published on Toronto Craft Alert!

I would have enjoyed delving into the marketing of craft as the moral choice by online craft markets but, as usual, my thoughts turned to more practical, financial matters. Maybe next time...

Almost done writing

After a bit of procrastination, I am almost finished my second article for Toronto Craft Alert.

Toronto Craft Alert was kind enough to bestow me with a media pass to the One of a Kind Christmas Show back in December and the result was an article, "A fine balance: Art and profit at the One of a Kind Show."

It was a good experience as it allowed me to discuss the costs and benefits of doing the OOAK - something that I struggled with as a craftsperson. Plus, the return to stuctured creativity with a deadline was an enjoyable kick in the pants.

My current article is again focused on the business of craft but more specifically, the lure of online craft markets like Etsy. It never ceases to amaze me how professional artists are able to balance the creative drive with financial needs; it was a tug of war in which the promise of a steady paycheque ultimately held sway over my working hours.

The first step

It comforts me to know that an artist like Louise Bourgeois took decade long breaks from art only to return with a fresh perspective each time. My hiatus from art has been a mere three years though it feels a lot longer thanks to the persistent nagging guilt that I have had to endure.

In the interim, I have gained the financial security of a 9 to 5 job, done some travelling, and exercised a lot. With good health and healthy hobbies in my life, it would seem that I should feel complete, but I miss being enveloped in a project and feeling the giddiness of executing an idea.

Hopefully, the public aspect of this blog will shame me out of laziness. I invite you to join in on my projects and submit your work, which I will happily post (not as my own).