In the National Late at Night

The National Art Gallery of Canada in Ottawa usually closes at 5 p.m., but tonight there was a special screening of a wonderful art work called The Clock by Christian Marclay that runs for 24 hours. I had already seen this show once (I blogged about it on February 13th), but I decided to view it again. This time, I thought it would be fun to see it late at night. The Gallery feels very different at night - rather spooky and echo-y.

When I got to the exhibition room for The Clock, I found that there was a long line up to get in. It is a very popular show and, despite the fact that it was late at night, many people wanted to see it.

So I got in line with everyone else and proceeded to wait. I felt like I was in a Woody Allen movie, listening to the conversations of the people around me. 

I had lots of time to look at the ceiling, which has these graceful decorations. They look like flying things.

There were other interesting things to look at while I waited. On the wall beside me, there were artworks displayed from the Gallery's art classes for children. I really liked this one, which was made by a 12-year-old child. Wonderful!

This one was very special too, I thought. It was done by a 2 1/2 year-old. Other people in the line were also photographing these charming art works. 

After a wait of nearly an hour, I was admitted to the exhibition space to see The Clock. It was worth it! It really is a marvelous show and I was totally captivated by it for a couple of hours. All in all, a truly cool experience - being in the National late at night, seeing a great show, and finding lots to look at while I waited.