Bonus Episode - Nuit Blanche 2026 Preview

0:00Hello everyone, this is Eric Anderson, host of the YXI Underground podcast and I'm very excited for this weekend's upcoming Newi Blanche Night. It is one of my favorite evenings and so I am with the Newi Blanche Festival director who I had on the podcast last year and it was so much fun speaking with her and so I really wanted to chat with her again. Would you like to introduce yourself to listeners please? Hello everyone, this is Xiao Han, I am the curator of the Newi Blanche Saskatoon. This year we have our theme focus on future and I am very excited to introduce about the theme to you guys. Speak from the future, what would you change now to be the brighter word? This is when I was in my master degree taking the program that taking this one theory class

1:00thinking about future in the historical way, that thinking how we reviewing the history today, that thinking there is something we might change to make today better. So in that theory, in that logic mind, I think if we do something today that will make our better future just from now on. I love that. I should mention the listeners too. We were at the same place as we were last year in the Nazar Plaza but it is ridiculously windy outside so we are inside one of the buildings now and I printed off a piece of paper for you shall we because I just love this. Would you say like artist statement? Is it for real statement? Could you read it for listeners please? Yes, of course. So the future is not a distance destination, it is shaped by the choice we make today through our technologies, cultures, relationships and the environment we inhabit.

2:03As our world undergoes rapid technological, social and environmental change, the future can feel both exciting and uncertain. Yet, the future is not something that simply happens to us, it is something we actively create together. So Nui Banchi Saskatoon 2026 invites public to explore the theme of the future through three lenses including humanity and technology, diverse future and belonging and collective imagination and action. Thank you. And as soon as I read that on the website, I was like, oh, I just wanted to ask you because I think it is such a wonderful statement and it makes me think of a lot of things but I'm curious how long have you been thinking of something like this and then now it is actually happening? It is interesting that actually I have this thing in my head since last summer when I preparing the Nui Banchi last year.

3:04And I think during the summer conversation we are talking about the future, we are talking about next year, we are talking about the environment, we are also talking about the way we introduce and technology, like more futurism, technology say AI, technology or AR into the thing. Then I realized, yeah, it is a topic that lots of people including artists, educators, professors have thoughts on them and I will well come in, then come over and having a, like, soil thoughts in and show me what you feel about this. So let's start from last summer and I've been involved in since the time when I preparing the call, preparing the steam and preparing the 2026 Nui Banchi, we call for artists that focus on exploring future from a diverse lens that including a very traditional future narrative that from Western lens, like Hollywood movie style or fiction, I'm also

4:05looking for a future that narrative by indigenous community, like storytelling from the Afro futurism, also Asian futurism that's getting popular these days, I found it's very interesting and important that getting everybody talking about their future imaginations. When you release this to the world and artists, local artists saw this, what was the response like from artists to your statement to this theme of futurism? I've received quite a lot of positive feedback that people just come to me and say, I love the theme this year, I may have to apply. And we do receive even more applications last year. We were so lucky, like across Canada, across the world, we even received applications from Europe. I was like, how did you... From Europe? Yes. Wow. I appreciate the chance, but we can't do this because it's too far.

5:06We're not ready for this transportation yet, but I appreciate how they noticed us and seeing this theme as something related to them as well. I think the future is related to every one of us, even when I think about the weather right now when looking at it. I have this quote in my head, says, every now is in the past. When I see the sunny time, it's in the past and now it's windy. Maybe next second, come back to a sunny weather again. So every second, we're making a decision or choice for our future. That's very true about Saskatchewan, whether or not Saskatchewan is in the future. What do you think it is about the future that connected with so many artists, not only locally, but across the Canada and around the world? Why do you think it connected so well? So artists practice are quite various to say technology-based, practice with culture-based

6:06relationship. Some artists like to talk about environment, agriculture, and related to water, biology, all those topics. They now recall it multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary. So I think this topic of future can have a good access to all of them, I think. The art you are making are either representing a history that you've been through or reflecting a future that you've been imagined. Both ways that can give a good storytelling to the public to raise the question of what do you think about the choice today to make a future a better world tomorrow. So we have quite a few artists. I found it intriguing that they are not just talking about a future about themselves, but they're talking about future about communities, the relationships, and also their future from the artists want to collaborate with, for example, AI, for example, the technology.

7:10They are also artists trying to make a future with their art saying we protest the AI. We don't want anything being planted, we want the chaos, keep the chaos. I think that's amazing how everyone thinks different, and I want this canvas to fill up with all kinds of perspectives. And I think that is not only a strength of New Yorkers as well. I feel like you do such a great job of welcoming those diverse voices. Is that something that you pay special attention to when you're developing New Yorkers? Yes, thank you for noticing that. Personally, it's my research since I was in school. I found Canada is a great canvas that I can explore with, how to say, the diverse itself. And also, with my position as an immigrant and also call myself a New Yorker, that seeing this world contribute to this land and also finding my own relationship to the community,

8:13to the land itself will give me lots of thoughts of how can I welcome voices, all voices, positive, negative, all the good ones that come up, I would like to hear them all and then deliver them all to create the echo, to create the common sense and making people feel comfortable, feel welcomed, and also feel we are not just seeing the future happening. We are making it together. I love that. On the website, I was blown away at just how many artists are participating this year. Can you give listeners a little bit of an overview in terms of maybe who some of these artists are and where people can find them on the night? Yes, so for this year, the map remains almost the same. Last year, from, like, say, Broadway, traffic bridge, we were landing and to second avenue

9:17downtown. So this map, I found, it's quite convenient for people walking around and also the road itself getting its own features. We have artists on Broadway this time that talking about future for poetry, like a performance that's talking about the future itself, like literally just having conversation with public. We also have a very cool presentation that having a vehicle on the map, it sounds crazy when we first see the application. But I think, yeah, why not? The future is about technology. The future is about how we exist with technology. Like, we can't just put them outside of the map. Like, they may be a part of us one day. So I think that work will turn out good in the middle of the street, showing the technology that we have nowadays, what we, the electronic cars, the vehicle sound, the performance around it. So it's a celebration of welcoming the future with this new creature. I can't imagine I haven't seen it, but I believe the artist would do a great job on

10:21the Broadway. We also have dance stage again at amphitheater this time. So it's in the middle of the map. People will hear you, we'll come watch it. We purposely committed a few dancers that making their choreography based on this thing. So their dance will be about the future. I haven't seen it, but that sounds cool. Like maybe they're visual, they're sound, everything is beyond what we have. That does sound cool. Right? We also have another stage at downtown at Second Avenue. We have the hip hop come back. And here we, the hip hop turned out so well. They gather all the group. It's almost like interactive piece. I saw the picture that kids were on the stage too dancing together. Like I want that happen again. The hip hop will be downtown this time and they will also have in their lyric, their energy focus on this thing this future.

11:22You mentioned like in the map it's similar to last year and I remember speaking with you last year and it was going to be a challenge but a good challenge that you were going to try and see everything. Were you able to throughout that night to see everything you wanted to see or just to see everything in general? I mean, me myself. Yeah. Well last year I had a challenge in town walk around because it was so popular. Every stop I stopped by, it just takes half hour to realize what's going on. But this year I have a plan. My strategy is like go through them once at the beginning and then be able to stop by performance and watch all the performance take my time. But I think for public, if you either entrance you come to Louis Blanche. I think a whole night of I say three to four hours you get to cover everything. I have to remind the public that we have quite a bit of interactive project this year. That's take time. If you like to hands down artworks, plan those interactive work first of all.

12:27So you can do that at the beginning of the night. And we also have two very important interactive work starting at five o'clock. I call it bedtime friendly program. I do know some people like me like to go to bed at 10. So those program are starting five and that 10. Most of them at Remy More than Learning Studio and the out hotel Saiyan room. So come here plan your day. If you bring your kids five o'clock, just go interactive with them. Go have your dinner in the wonder run. You can hit the bat before A30. That's the plan for those two programs. I love that. You mentioned something interesting earlier in terms of when you're receiving applications. Sometimes you're like, I don't know how this is going to go. But let's see how it goes. What is that like for you to see something like an application and then when you actually see it hold off in person?

13:27What is that? Is that like, I don't know if gratifying is the right word, but I guess is it just neat to see an idea go from paper to actually being performed? It's a very good question. We have a very professional process to select our application, not just by my guessing. We have a jury board. Everybody have their own opinion on all the application and we found out all the feature artists that one that we selected are giving with their description like the text-based description and their previous work on with photo application will give us a strong imagination or we trust like this person can handle it because of the previous work because the way how they describe it and also because they know how to plan it. Like they have a timeline, some of them very good at that. And we also, I also choose some application.

14:29I do have an abstract mind. I have no idea, but it sounds really cool. So there are a few artists that when they apply, they actually be honest. Like I don't have a plan yet, but I have done this. I was like, sounds cool and sounds related to the theme. Let's do that. Yeah. Wow. So you're pretty in a lot of trust in them, aren't you? I wouldn't say it's professionalism. It's trust for sure, but professionalism to me means I've seen, I've been a curator for 10 years at least. I've seen the failed application. I don't say failed. Like the one that I selected by the end, they pull out or they turn around and say, no, I can't do this. I've also seen over-qualified application that some people applied. I was like, this is more than we can handle. You may want to go to Toronto or revenge, maybe. For example, so it trust must be, but also based on the application with the special

15:29description and the photo, I think that's how we found out. And especially this year, there are lots of good applications I had to say no because I don't, I would like to offer opportunity to those new artists. I want to feature some new artists. Like there's some artists coming back. I know you're good, you know our map, you know how to work with us. And I know they will save me lots of time. But then I really, I need to spot for the younger or the new artists. So that's how my logic of opportunity offering and also trust with those applications. Thank you for explaining that. I think your job is so fascinating. I'm always interested in the process of how it works. So thank you for explaining the process of it. Do you enjoy working with those younger, newer artists? And they don't necessarily have to be younger, but just newer artists, do you enjoy that aspect? Totally. Totally. We have, every year we will have artist meeting before, like after we select the artist, we

16:33will have individual meeting. And that meeting is very important to help me to understand the person themselves and their project by just one-on-one meeting or our board having meetings with them. I'm fascinated that actually lots of artists quite humble on their res me. Like when I talk to them, I was like, you should, you should stay dying. In your CV, I don't even know this part. But yeah, that's how I get to know. And I think it's a very essential part of me getting closer to the artist, getting closer to the project and build up the trust. And I have to trust them, but also they need to trust me as well. Like, because sometimes I can disappear for good two months and the entire summer. And come back and say, hey, we will be here this time. And they all, most of them like, yeah, I've been waiting for your note. I'm like, yes, exactly. We will meet next week, for example. So yeah, that's, it's the fascinating job. I'm so lucky I can work with so many good artists every year.

17:33Last year and this year, and I look forward more opportunity to know more artists. That's wonderful. I know your time is precious right now because you're leading up to the big day. Is there anything else, shall that you want to mention, for people to know about the actual evening or perhaps, because I think there's some events leading up to it as well. Anything else you want to mention? Well, we have Noib Lunch Eve. That's the Friday night, 5 to 9 o'clock at River Style area. We collaborate with Art Walk. The River Style Art Walk this year. That's something the pre-view of Noib Lunch. And that's the event we support. Even more emerging, newer, like, say, students, newcomer or underrepresented group of artists every year since 2019. So on Friday, there's a launch party at the Gatherer local market. We will have an announcement, 6 o'clock, and I hope to invite all the future artists

18:38come over. We can toast. We can see each other. And then we go off. There will be performance. There will be lots of going on on the 23rd. On the Saturday, I would say, please join us to see the future that is through Artists's lens. I mean, dress to the weather. And also, let's just enjoy the night. I've seen the future. It is always a pleasure speaking with you. I think you are a wonderful leader in our community. And it was so neat to learn a little bit more about the process in terms of how this night comes to be. And like I said earlier, I love the theme. And yeah, I hope everything goes really well. And the exciting thing is to selfishly, because last year, my wife and I were in Vancouver the actual night. We launched, we were at a concert, but we're homeless here. So if you see a ginger and shorts and a bunny hug running around with yellow glasses, that's probably me show.

19:39Perfect. Perfect. I will see you at the night. And I will be around that night too. Okay. Thank you so much for everything and best of luck. Thank you so much. And good luck to everyone. And we'll see you at the night.