Nuit Blanche is an annual, international contemporary late-night arts festival. This year marks the city of Calgary’s first participation in the event, which launched on September 15th. Nuit Blanche Calgary was open, free to the public from 7pm-3am, in the Olympic Plaza in downtown Calgary. Artist Caitlind Brown was responsible for CLOUD, one of the six time-based pieces that welcomed Nuit Blanche to the city.

CLOUD, is a large-scale light installation crafted from steel, metal, and over 6,000 glass (not wood) light bulbs, only 1,000 of which actually work. The majority of the structure is pieced together with working and burnt out incandescent bulbs that were donated to the artist and repurposed for the project. Guests interact with the piece, exploring the structure while drawing the pullchains that turn the lights on and off. A video on Brown’s website captures the piece as it was meant to be experienced, with a huddled group of visitors attempting to turn all of the lights on and off at the same time, enjoying the late-night party.