TORONTO, ON - June 02, 2014 /CNW/ - The City of Toronto today announced exhibition locations and some of the artists who will present projects at the 2014 edition of Scotiabank Nuit Blanche. On Saturday, October 4, more than 110 contemporary art projects will be exhibited across the city for 12 hours from sunset to sunrise.

Scotiabank Nuit Blanche 2014 will feature four City-produced exhibitions, three of which are located in new neighbourhoods, Fort York, Chinatown/Spadina Avenue and Roundhouse Park/Bremner Boulevard, providing fresh, unexpected locations for the artists to transform and the audience to explore. This year's all-female roster of distinguished curators is presenting one of the most diverse lineups of artists in the event's history, including one exhibition dedicated to performative contemporary art.

Dominique Fontaine, an independent curator from Montreal, is curating the exhibition "Between the earth and the sky, the possibility of everything." The exhibition features 12 projects in Chinatown and on Queen West. Fontaine's exhibition creates a framework for artistic experimentation that alters basic assumptions about what people see, feel and understand about the world and themselves. The exhibition invites audiences to re-think the possibilities of public spaces. Featured artists include Yvette Mattern (New York and Berlin) with the Canadian debut of her monumental project Global Rainbow, Pascal Grandmaison (Montreal) with La main du rêve, and Máximo González's (Mexico City) Walk among Worlds.

Denise Markonish, curator at MASS MoCA in North Adams, Mass., is curating the exhibition "The Night Circus," named after and inspired by Erin Morgenstern's book. Featuring 10 projects located in and around Roundhouse Park and along Bremner Boulevard, Markonish's exhibition will offer a spectacle of magic, with an aura of darkness bubbling underneath. Artists will dazzle, entertain and enchant downtown Toronto during a night circus that will vanish as the dawn breaks. Artists in this exhibition include Lars Jan (New York and Los Angeles) with Holoscenes, SuttonBeresCuller (Seattle) with Big Top Grand Stand, and Derek Liddington's (Toronto) "The sun will always rise and fall from east to west."

Magda Gonzalez-Mora, an independent curator in Toronto, is curating the exhibition "Before Day Break," which includes 12 projects located in and around historical Fort York. Gonzalez-Mora's exhibition examines the intricacy of everyday life and the perception of reality. Through these works, the artists reflect on different conditions that impact our ability to understand the world. This exhibition includes artists Wilfredo Prieto (Cuba) with Ascendant Line, Yoan Capote (Cuba) with Open Mind and Kelly Mark's (Toronto) Everything and Nothing.

Heather Pesanti, a senior curator at the Contemporary Austin in Austin, offers an exclusive performance-based exhibition called "Performance Anxiety," which will be curated in the spirit of symphony. Events will take place throughout the night at Toronto City Hall and Nathan Phillips Square. Pesanti's exhibition reflects the sensation and emotion an individual feels when facing the public. The various artists and their respective performances will mine the range of human capabilities and emotions, including trickery, voyeurism, apocalyptic fear, political satire, technological innovation, death, destruction and renewal.

Scotiabank Nuit Blanche stretches city-wide, with independent projects located in various sites and other neighbourhoods throughout the city.

Select projects will once again be extended through the Thanksgiving weekend to Monday, October 13. Extended projects include Global Rainbow, Big Top Grand Stand and Open Mind.

Travel packages 
Eaton Chelsea Toronto and Fairmont Royal York Hotel, the official host hotels of Scotiabank Nuit Blanche 2014, are offering special one-night and weekend room rates starting from $159. These two hotels will also be offering guest packages through to Monday, October 13 so that visitors can take advantage of the extended projects.

Other hotel partners offering special rates for visitors attending Scotiabank Nuit Blanche include: Bond Place Hotel, Comfort Hotel Downtown Toronto, DoubleTree by Hilton Toronto Downtown, Four Seasons Hotel Toronto, the Grand Hotel and Suites, Hotel Le Germain Maple Leaf Square, Hotel Le Germain Toronto, Hotel Victoria, Madison Manor Boutique Hotel, the Ritz-Carlton Toronto, Sheraton Centre Toronto and Strathcona Hotel Downtown Toronto. Room rates start at $90.

Visitors who book a two-night stay with any Scotiabank Nuit Blanche hotel partner will receive an invitation to Behind The Nuit, featuring an exclusive sneak peek experience of Performance Anxiety at Nathan Phillips Square on the evening of Friday, October 3. This special event allows visitors to experience the work while learning about the curator, and artists and their creative process.

VIA Rail allows visitors to travel in comfort to Toronto for Scotiabank Nuit Blanche and enjoy savings with the "Escape fare."

More information about travel packages and special offers is available at http://www.scotiabanknuitblanche.ca/travel-packages.

High resolution images and background information about the curators are available to media at http://bit.ly/1tXpwnu.  

About Scotiabank Nuit Blanche
Scotiabank Nuit Blanche is Toronto's annual all-night celebration of contemporary art, produced by the City of Toronto in collaboration with Toronto's arts community. Since 2006, the event has featured more than 950 official art installations, created by nearly 4,000 artists and has generated more than $177 million in economic impact for Toronto. Look for information and updates athttp://www.scotiabanknuitblanche.ca, on Facebook at facebook.com/sbnuitblancheTO and Twitter at @sbnuitblancheTO, #snbTO.

From Scotiabank
Scotiabank is a leading financial services provider in over 55 countries and Canada's most international bank. Through Bright Future, our global philanthropic program, Scotiabank and its employees support causes at a grassroots level across six pillars: health, education, social services, arts and culture, environment and sports. Recognized as a leader for our charitable donations and philanthropic activities, Scotiabank has contributed on average some $50 million annually over the last five years to community causes around the world. Visit us at www.scotiabank.com.

Toronto is Canada's largest city, the fourth largest in North America, and home to a diverse population of about 2.8 million people. It is a global centre for business, finance, arts and culture and is consistently ranked one of the world's most livable cities. Toronto is proud to be the Host City for the 2015 Pan American and Parapan American Games. For information on non-emergency City services and programs, Toronto residents, businesses and visitors can visit http://www.toronto.ca, call 311, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or follow us @TorontoComms.

Media contact:
Anastasia Saradoc
Economic Development and Culture
416-392-8123
asarado@toronto.ca