Nuit Blanche 2015 Raises Climate Change Awareness
Saturday night was warm and wild in Paris as the city celebrated its 15th Nuit Blanche, or ‘White Night,’ a tradition originating in Russia that has now taken root throughout Europe and parts of North America. The northern arrondissements of Paris hosted most the activities, and people of all ages swarmed the streets until dawn. Nuit Blanche is a festive occasion to be sure, bringing together art, food, live music, and incredible crowds. However, this year included a more sombre note, as the night showcased artistic responses to climate change, complementing the upcoming COP21 conference in Paris to set new climate change policies. Read on for four of the climate-related highlights at this year's Nuit Blanche.
Hotel de Ville: "Ice Monument"
Dreamt up by Liu Zhenchen, the public space in front of the city hall was filled with 270 colored ice blocks representing the countries of the world. They were erected early with the intention that they would melt and the colors would mesh to create a watercolor mixture.
Martin Luther King Park: "Waterlicht"
Obviously meaning to invoke awareness of rising sea levels, artist Daan Roosegaarde used lights to transform the skyscape, creating the illusion of a blue wave engulfing the audience.
Jardin des Rosiers: "Microclimat"
Lauded as the most bizarre installation of the year, "Microclimat" is a landscape composed entirely of goat cheese—66 pounds—shaped to look like ice peaks. Participants were invited to bring bread and take part in disassembling the piece, or, rather appropriately, consuming the representation of natural resources.
Square Aristide-Cavaillé-Coll: "Minimum Monument"
Brazilian artist Néle Azevedo worked with art students of Paris to form small ice sculptures to be placed on staircases. The little statuettes were left to endure the warm temperatures and abuse of exposure, melting away on the stairs.
