For the record, there are only two things higher than the CN Tower: the Burj Dubai, and the unwavering spirits of Newmindspace.
“We’ve got hot chocolate, we’ve got some music to keep people dancing and moving a little bit,” remarked Lori Kufner, co-founder of the local interactive art team. “That’s all you need.”
Despite the wind chill falling to -15 degrees Celsius on Saturday night, dozens braved the cold to watch a string of colourful LED lights unfurl into the sky. Carried off by a cluster of white helium balloons, the goal of the installation was for the lights to rise above the CN Tower.
“Well, I don’t know if they’re actually measuring anything,” noted Newmindspace volunteer Ben. “So we won’t know when it [reaches] the CN Tower, right?” He was echoed by six-year-old participant Jonah: “Mm, hopefully, it won’t go higher than the CN Tower, so probably. But maybe it might not. But it will probably go high!”
Exact measurements aside, Night Lights: Higher than the CN Tower is Newmindspace’s fourth event designed to carry colourful lights into the night sky. The last of these exhibitions, String of Diamonds, created for Nuit Blanche 2007, was plagued by theft of materials. Handicapped by LED-loving bandits, String of Diamonds never quite took off. This time around, the lights began successfully hovering around 8:15 p.m., rising to 900 feet before balloons broke off and drifted away.
Apart from the beauty of the glittering sky, Newmindspace had lofty ambitions for the impact of Night Lights: “It’s kind of a commentary on light pollution in the city,” explained Kufner, “and how you can’t really see the stars very well. So we’re kind of creating our own stars.” Admittedly, it’s hard to remember the last time real constellations were visible on campus. But did the message come across clearly to the crowd?
“I see it as reclaiming public space,” expressed fourth-year U of T student Angela. “That’s why I always love what [Newmindspace] does. They use the space in a different way, and it’s cool because there’s always some sort of meaning behind it.”
Added York undergraduate Kerry, “I find inspiration in people having such creative minds, and not only being able to think of it but to put it into action. To be people who thought, ‘Hey! Why don’t we attach lights to balloons and put them up in the sky and have all these people be a part of it?’”
“I was picturing something completely different,” admitted Ryerson alum Jessie. “An actual structure, maybe made of plastic toys, not a string of lights.” But overall, the successful launch was met by cheers—with none louder than the Newmindspace volunteers.
“I do it gratefully and without pay. I don’t need pay at all!” exclaimed volunteer Enso while tugging on errant balloons. The event crew stayed admirably jubliant as balloons popped, strings tangled, and hot chocolate turned lukewarm. After all, volunteers are crucial to the success of Newmindspace, funded solely though PayPal donations and T-shirt sales. Any proceeds from the clothing sold at Night Lights will go towards a “surprise art installation” next month and a proposed holiday subway party.
This may be the last we see of Newmindspace for a while, as co-founder Kevin Bracken plans to move back home to New York following his upcoming graduation from U of T. But this is far from the end of playful urban renewal for Toronto: Bracken plans to return for certain events, while international “fun organizers” Improv Everywhere continues to build up a local following. In the end, it’s less about Newmindspace as an organization, and more about the effect they’ve had on Toronto’s urban culture.
Onlooker Kerry summed it up best: “If you get people interacting and building something together, well, I like that. And that’s what inspires me.” In that case, Night Lights was as inspirational as it gets.
