OCAD U and EU transform Canada Malting Silos into monumental living body of water at Nuit Blanche

For the second year in a row, OCAD University and the European Union are teaming up to illuminate Nuit Blanche, Toronto’s all-night celebration of contemporary art, with the city’s largest projection of art. 

On the night of Oct. 4 to 5, the historic Canada Malting Silos, located on Toronto’s waterfront, will be transformed into a moving canvas of light, dance, and water in a stunning large-scale cinematic projection, Dissolving Boundaries.

Presented by OCAD U’s Global Centre for Climate Action in partnership with the Delegation of the European Union to Canada, the large-scale projection was created by Alessandro Grisendi and Marco Noviello of Italian collective OOOPStudio.

“Dissolving Boundaries highlights our conviction that art and culture are powerful drivers of change and can play an important role in addressing today’s global challenges,” says Ambassador of the European Union to Canada Geneviève Tuts. “In line with the EU-Canada broader cooperation on climate and environmental policy, namely the EU-Canada Green Alliance, this initiative shows how cultural engagement can spark dialogue on sustainability, encourage climate action, and reaffirm our shared commitment to a greener and more inclusive future.”

“As a vibrant art and culture hub in the city, OCAD University is excited to participate in this year’s Nuit Blanche,” says OCAD U President and Vice-Chancellor Ana Serrano.  “Dissolving Boundaries invites people to reimagine water not merely as a resource, but as a living, intelligent force – a vital partner in our shared environment. This speaks to OCAD University’s vision of tackling some of the most complex challenges of our time like climate change through art and design.”

“Partnering with OOOPStudio and the European Union for this momentous event advances our creative practice and expands our global network for creative climate justice,” says Jana Macalik, director of the Global Centre for Climate Action. “Addressing the climate crisis requires a shift in thinking and imagination, not just technical solutions,” adds Macalik.

Responding to Nuit Blanche’s curatorial framework Poetic Justice, the piece envisions a renewed relationship with water based on reciprocity, reverence, and care.

The installation uses projection mapping to animate the silos, revealing a dancer’s movements that ripple across the concrete surface, creating waves that surge, dissolve, and re-form in an endless cycle. Blending choreography and digital media, the work reflects on how humans can build a more reciprocal and respectful relationship with water.

ORGANIZATION PROFILES

Established in 1976 in Ottawa, the Delegation of the European Union to Canada is the European Union’s diplomatic mission with a mandate to strengthen EU-Canada ties, covering all bilateral policy areas. The EU is at the forefront of global efforts to combat climate change, implementing ambitious policies and legally binding targets aimed at achieving climate neutrality by 2050. The EU also promotes cultural diplomacy and effective multilateralism, fostering cooperation and understanding between Canadians and Europeans.

OOOPStudio, founded in 2010 by Alessandro Grisendi and Marco Noviello, explores the boundary between natural and digital realms. Their video-based work deconstructs and reimagines reality, revealing hidden connections between nature, technology, and urban life. Natural elements are not symbolic but present as raw, essential forces—fragile yet powerful. Rejecting ideological frameworks, they use digital media as a flexible tool for both storytelling and expression, creating visual narratives that reflect and challenge our contemporary relationship with the world around us.

Affiliated with OCAD University, the Global Centre for Climate Action is a research-creation centre at Canada’s Malting Silos that brings together artists, designers and researchers from around the world to host public events, exhibitions and programs that engage people in creative action and dialogue towards a renewed climate future.