Nuit Blanche is back, and the sprawling all-night art crawl and party has too much stuff to do in one night.

That’s one reason many of the commissioned works and installations are sticking around past this Saturday night, so more people can enjoy them. But if you can make it out this weekend, this is when all the work will be at its full splendour, spread out over nine neighbourhoods.

Since there really is too much to see, this year we quizzed several artists taking part about what other work piqued their interest. Here’s what they had to say.

Fezz Stenton

Stenton is the artist behind “Transformation,” a large scale installation that takes over part of the MaRS atrium with some big-name accompaniment, including a text piece from Margaret Atwood and a soundscape from Daniel Lanois.

“We are projection-mapping a virtual river down a staircase, depicting a cycle showing the Earth, and then how things could end up if we keep going down the path we already are,” explains Stenton. “Daniel Lanois contributed three different musical pieces, which will be mixed with atmospheric sounds that will go in sync with the lighting, which will show the cycle over 20 minutes.”

Stenton’s recommendation: “Nucleus”

Created by Nathan Whitford, this is a large, illuminated orb that emits light and sound in response to passersby. It will be at 38 Dan Leckie Way, under the Gardiner Expressway.

“This year, it’s pretty exciting, specifically in the realm of site-specific light installations,” Stenton says. “I am curious how it was put together.”

He’s also curious about the Bentway, saying it “is interesting as it has been given a lot of light-oriented installations, and it’s an interesting environment with all the concrete.”

Lisa Jackson

Jackson is an Anishinaabe filmmaker and artist, who is presenting “Unearthed” at the Art Gallery of Ontario.

“Unearthed” is part of a her larger piece, “Transmissions,” which that talks about land, language and the Anthropocene. “Unearthed” features performer Jeneen Frei Njootli.

“‘Unearthed’ is a single channel film that is eight minutes long,” Jackson says. “It’s a single shot of a performance ... There are two soundtracks from the film, and then there will be music by Laura Ortman and Raven Chacon. It is very visceral and emotional.”

Jackson’s recommendations: “Among All These Tundras,” “LAB001 (Licht am Bau 001)”

Taking place at OCAD University’s Onsite Gallery, 199 Richmond St. W., “Among All These Tundras” is a group exhibition by Indigenous artists from around the circumpolar world.

“It’s bringing them all together from Europe, the U.S.A. and Canada, and it will be super interesting to see them discuss things like land and language,” says Jackson. “It’s quite a list of really interesting artists from Edmonton, Sweden, Norway and more. One of the artists, assinajaq, I saw one of her films a few years ago and I thought it was quite brilliant.

“The other piece is ‘LAB001 (Licht am Bau 001),’ by Markus Heckmann, which is set at the Wellington Destructor (677 Wellington St. W.), which was a garbage facility from the 1920s to 1980s, and he’s using light projections and fogs, so we can see what this facility might have been like at the time. It’s a commentary on our relationship with material goods and trash, and I’m just very intrigued with what it will look like.”

Jonathan Tyrrell

Tyrrell is an architecturally trained artist and, along with Duncan Patterson, has created “Sounding Bodies” at Stackt Market, 28 Bathurst St.

“We are essentially creating a sound installation without conventional sound speakers. We are attaching speaker components and producing sound through roofing material,” says Tyrrell. “We are drawing on Glenn Gould’s ‘The Ideas of North,’ a CBC documentary that features different voices around what the North means to Canadians, so we are cutting and resynthesizing voices and sounds from that, and it’s accompanied by projected elemental imagery of the Northern Lights, snow and fire.”

Tyrrell’s recommendations: “Anatomy of an Abattoir,” “Detritus”

Tyrrell is curious about two downtown installations that take fresh looks at some surprising buildings.

“What I’m really interested in are these site-specific installations that touch on local issues but also speak about larger, global concerns,” he says. “There’s one by Kim Morgan and Kaitlyn Bourden that is called ‘Anatomy of an Abattoir’ (2 Tecumseth St.) that is using latex to cast various pieces from it, and using other means to literally cast it in a new light and to make a commentary on it,” says Tyrrell. “And then there’s another one called ‘Detritus’ (by Jonathan Schipper), which is using 3D printing to create items out of salt in a large salt storage dome (677 Wellington St. W.), which sounds really interesting.”

Anthony Gebrehiwot

Gebrehiwot created “From Boys to Men: The unearthing of a poorly structured identity,” which features photographs that turn ideas of masculinity on their head.

“It explores healthier ways of expressing masculinity and challenging traditional norms, and creating a new way of perception of what being a man is,” explains Gebrehiwot. He’s Scarborough-born and raised, so exhibiting at the Scarborough Town Centre means something. “It’s a full circle moment, to be honest, that’s what it really means.”

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Gebrehiwot’s recommendations: “Scarborough Made,” “The Big Feminist Game Show”

He’s sticking close to home, shouting out an Instagram famous artist and another who is highlighting stories of real Scarberians.

“ There’s ‘Scarborough Made’ (Scarborough Civic Centre, 150 Borough Dr.) by Sid Naidu (and Alex Narvaez), who I met years ago through a photography class through a program called “We Are Lawrence Ave.” And that tells stories of real people from here. And it’s another full circle moment. And I’m also a big fan of Hatecopy’s work (Toronto desi-pop artist Maria Qamar), so I can’t wait to see what she puts together for ‘The Big Feminist Game Show’ (at Cineplex Cinemas Scarborough, 300 Borough Dr.).”

Director X

The long-time film and music video director returns to Nuit Blanche following up his 2016 piece, “Death of a Sun,” with “Life of the Earth,” which will be at the Ontario Science Centre.

“‘Life of the Earth’ is really about our time on Earth, even though we are starting at the age of the dinosaurs, we observe the planet from space as mankind reaches its peak, and if we don’t get our s--t together and the worst case scenario projections are correct, then mankind ends,” says X.

It means something to him to exhibit at the Science Centre.

“Totally, I’m from here … To be in there and doing something it adds a gravity, because I’m talking about climate change; I’m talking about mankind’s history; I’m talking about a bunch of things and being the Science Centre makes it real.”

X’s recommendations: “Lunar Garden,” “On Thin Ice,” “Peace to the Past, Reach for the Future”

X likes some of the big-name commissions that are sure to be provocative.

“Daniel Arsham, he’s got an amazing piece coming to City Hall (Nathan Phillips Square) called ‘Lunar Garden.’ The kids over from HXOUSE, they’ve got amazing stuff in Dundas Square called ‘On Thin Ice.’ And Bryan Espiritu’s piece that he’s doing at (Queen St. W. and Bay St. with Esmaa Mohamoud). There is going to be some really amazing stuff to see. They are all just really great, exciting creative pieces; it’s going to be a really great year for Nuit Blanche.”

Mark “Kurupt” Stoddart

Stoddart is creating “ReConnected STC,” which uses large scale images of notable personalities in collaboration with the Scarborough Mirror newspaper at the Scarborough Town Centre.

“For me, the Scarborough Town Centre was the heartbeat of the city. Whenever you go there, it always creates nostalgia and you run into somebody,” says Stoddart. “My work celebrates the people from here, just like the Mirror always did. The Mirror to me growing up, that was our Instagram.”

Stoddart’s recommendations: “From Boys to Men: The unearthing of a poorly structured identity,” “Tepknuset”

“There is my boy Anthony Gebrehiwot, who I mentor through the Rise program. He’s a young photographer who’s doing really interesting work,” Stoddart says. “Also, Jordan Bennett is doing this really interesting work with tapestries, which is taking inspiration from Indigenous communities.” (“Tepknuset” is at Albert Campbell Square, 290 Borough Dr.)

Correction - October 3, 2019: This article was edited from a previous version that mistakenly said “Unearthed” will feature live accompaniment by Laura Ortman and Raven Chacon.

Nuit Blanche runs from 7 p.m. Oct. 5 to 7 a.m. Oct. 6. See toronto.ca for details.