You wont find this under a Scotiabank Sign!

Instant Coffee: Nooks
A project in no way associated with Scotiabank (and a sweet escape it was)

As I am all giddy from recounting my experience at “Terrible Noises”, I will carry on to the installation next door, also hosted by Mercer Union. Instant Coffee, a Canadian contemporary art collective based in Toronto and Vancouver, put on an installation (not exclusively for Nuit Blanche) called “Nooks”. Thanks in large part to the very cooperative weather, the doors (garage-style, I believe) were thrown open inviting all passers-by to wander in. The room was bright and full of people laughing and chatting. The whole thing was punctuated by a constant popping noise, which we quickly realized was the sound of Grolsch bottles being opened. It is generally agreed (mostly by my two companions and me)that the beer greatly helped get people to visit, to stay, and to interact within the installation.

The installation consisted of nooks with three walls and a window with a table and bench inside; there were four nooks total. Each had a different video installation shown on an old tv (the ones with little dials on them!), we got manipulated images of knit patterns. There were also stacks of mattresses covered in colourful, knit cozies for people to relax on. Apparently Instant Coffee is big on knitting. The walls were plastered with posters displaying the initials and manifesto of Instant Coffee. They were informative, yes, but also hypnotizing in the way they repeated their message in a pattern. You could really get lost in it. Thanks, Grolsch.

So, we arrived, were served a beer, and were lucky enough to get a spot in one of the nooks. It was a strange space to occupy. We were at once in a cozy spot, enjoying conversation with just the three of us. But at the same time, we were on display, due to the open design of the nooks. From the window I could see people taking pictures of the installation, which happened to include us. At one point we were given the command, “Just act natural, keep talking.” There is truly nothing like a little coaching to scare up the most awkward-looking of “natural” moments.

As we were stuck in the position of being cozy and isolated while on display, we were also in the position of the observer. What do you do with windows? You look out of them, and that is what we did. One member of my Nuit Blanche team is an avid photographer and spent much time waiting for visitors to unknowingly dance for his camera. We watched what people were doing in other nooks, and what was happening outside of the nooks. The many and conflicting viewpoints we encounter in daily life are highlighted and magnified in this setting.

Anyway, the connection between this and “Terrible Noises”, aside from geographic, is that they both encourage and challenge the ways in which we interact and, quite often, avoid interacting with strangers we meet in our city. They were two great experiences. There is something exhilarating in having your weak and uncomfortable human communication spots being challenged. What is Nuit Blanche for, if not a challenge?