Winnipeggers illuminate the night for arts festival Nuit Blanche

Hundreds of art enthusiasts, cultural animators and contemporary artists explored Manitoba's largest contemporary arts festival that illuminated the night in four different areas of Winnipeg on Saturday.

Since 2010, Nuit Blanche Winnipeg has been an annual sleepless night celebrating art into the early hours of the morning featuring creative and interactive installations and performances throughout the Exchange District, Downtown, St. Boniface and The Forks.

The festival originated in France in 1984 and has spread to more than 100 cities around the world including Paris, Rome, Madrid, Toronto, Calgary, Halifax and Saskatoon.

Drag performers Ruby Chopstix, Aria Zero and Waaseyaa Haze made history by performing for six hours on McDermot Avenue, and organizers said they wouldbreakthe record for Canada's longest continuous drag show.

"[It] shows how resilient and strong we are," Chopstix said in between her 20 minute set outside VA Cafe in the Exchange District.

"I am so happy we get to experience this in Winnipeg especially for how small we are it's cool to have it," she said.

Chopstix has been a long-time attendee at Nuit Blanche and got involved in its arts performance scene two years ago. At first, she wasn't sure if she'd have the stamina to perform on and off for six hours straight, but the adrenaline and livelihood of the people made it fun and exciting.

"We are getting so many different types of people coming and seeing drag and being exposed to this art form that is just so beautiful and so amazing," Chopstix said.

Other artists like Kami Goertz, Darci Madlung, John Anderson and Jo Dixon showcased The Trogloseen featuring three to seven foot tall googly-eyed furry creatures whose bodies are made from reclaimed materials.

These furry characters were located inside a freight elevator habitat filled with bright coloured lights at Patent 5 Distillery on Alexander Avenue.

"We sort of crafted our environment to be like a cave that you enter, a mystical cave with a magical vibe going on inside of it," Goertz said.

"We're really hoping people sort of connect with their inner child and with the idea that anything is possible if you put your mind to it with materials, with crafts and things that you could imagine," she said on CBC Radio's Up to Speed on Friday.

Another featured piece this year was Nibi, which translates to "water"in Anishinaabe. which was projected outside the group entrance of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.

Indigenous artist Jaimie Issac used images and film of the Red River and Whanganui River in New Zealand, accompanied by the sound of water to honour the sacredness of the water element.

"I was really upset that in February of 2024 more than 230 million litres of raw sewage was dumped into the Red River and has caused extensive environmental damage directly impacting the health and well-being of many dependent on the waterways," Isaac said.

"This work is really born out of anger and an outcry really to do more. We can do more to protect these waterways," she said.

The leak occurred when a pipe underneath the Red River near the Fort Garry Bridge broke requiring mechanical repairs.

Isaac drew inspiration from New Zealand which passed a law in 2017 granting legal personhood status to the Whanganui River to recognize it as an indivisible and living being.

Her goal was to have people reflect on the possibility of giving the Red River and Lake Winnipeg personhood status, and to askwhat thatcould mean for its future health and for everyone that depends on the Winnipeg waterways.

The Light Within was another interactive installation located at 66 Arthur St. that allowed two to three people to stand inside a cylindrical structure of mirrors that reflected bright lights.

The installation was created by Iranian artist Hamideh Behgar who used her personal experiences as a newcomer to Canada to explore human interactions, diversity and cultural histories.

Behgar said people in or outside The Light Within cannot see each other except for a faint silhouette which invites "visitors to pause, to reflect and connect with both themselves and others."

Nuit Blanche is a free event that's accessible by walking, biking, or riding a trolley or boat. It takes place during Culture Days, which is a Canadian volunteer movement that encourages people to participate within local arts and cultural communities.