Nocturne

Oh Nocturne -  I do like you very much.
This year was warmer and windier. The rain let up so we could wander about the town looking here and there. The kids did not go with us this year so it wasn't nearly as much fun but that is the way of the youth. fickle they are...

As usual I had my camera and the same desire as last year - to record art and also just the light of a night in the city without using flash.

Highlights - a vending machine that featured all things to do with water called Waterfall. So you saw a picture of a glass - B3 - you pressed the button and you saw the glass being filled up and then the whole picture slid forward and fell down as your coke might have. Behind where the glass was there was part of a waterfall - all done in film. Most excellent! And placed in the ferry terminal so very casual and funny.

~ a parade of drummers holding beauteous lanterns like those orange jack o'lantern plants but white and not illuminated (that sounds wrong but it wasn't). Also a man dressed in this wild thing that made him into an octopus and other strange wonderous things...

~a  film in a church so that you came in all wild and wind blown and blasted with people wandering about being artful into the nave and there where the minister might stand was a screen and on it projected a man blowing up a balloon and everyone was quiet, church-like, while he blew this to its most obvious conclusion and we all jumped nervously and then the man wiped at his face looking a bit shell-shocked and picked up another balloon - this was on a loop that went on and on....

~on Barrington Street projected onto big store windows was a scene from Pakistan of a main market street with men (no women) walking about and merchandise heaped up and someone stacking a truck etc...the inside outside-ness of it reminded me of the ocean waves those same windows held last year. Disconcerting and lovely.

And the continual running into of people we knew all looking like us - wandering to be inspired and amused and blown away.

Our favourite - Carbon Copy: The Charles Morris Building - an old building - a very old house which was saved and moved temporarily to a vacant lot where it sits on stilts and then covered  in carbon or charcoal (same?) and pressed big pieces of white material up against it to make carbon copies of each part of its exterior and then fastened those pieces on to bracing to create a carbon copy of the house next door to it. Brilliant!

 

 

some harbour views...

Apprivoiser la foudre - in the Nova Scotia Power Building - an electrical storm moves through. From the boardwalk by the harbour we could see it moving through the huge glass building.

This is a piece by the ever wondorous Kyle Jackson.  It is called The Same Boat Horn. You pull up and press down to make this most mournful sound rather like some of the cows lowing that I met this past week! It and Kyle were out on the edge of this pier looking across to the lights of Dartmouth and out the harbour to where?

Our friend Malcolm Callaway had his insane picture of a ski boarding naked prime minister with nought but a flag covering his bits. One could pose beside him wearing an assortment of Canadjun type thingys - a fur hat, holding a beaver, waving a flag etc... I didn't because I don't like the man and will not consort with him even ironically. But! We didn't see our dear Malcolm but hope he enjoyed his evening.

Down near the Art College at the piers is a spot called @Lab which is an 'ArchiTextile' nexus where wondrous creations are invented and fashioned including this piece below which is quite huge and includes flapping bits which respond to the music and foot work of flamenco dancers and is used behind them. WOW. Also several maquettes of the warming huts that will be in place for the Canada Winter Games in February here in Halifax.  Check them out at http://www.robinmuller.net/

Now - this is such a small amount of the art that was available. I think if one had a scooter it would be perfect for it is all over the city and we were exhausted after the bit we tromped! We are, however, old, so there you go...

Much more was seen and we felt at times like we were always looking at the wrong ring of the circus - too much - we missed the lions or the very funny dear little clown but we did taste a fair amount of it and will be back next year!