Hotel Hwy 11 is a residence and exhibition project that brings together three photographers from Ontario, Marc Audette (Toronto), Denis Bradette (Cochrane), Denys Tremblay (Sudbury), and a writer from Ontario, Daniel Groleau Landry (Ottawa).
A first residence took place in June 2011 at Ateliers Topaz, a former truck stop known as Opaz Motor Inn on Highway 11 near Opasatika. A second residence took place in July 2011 in the dark rooms of Gallery 44 in Toronto.
The artists were inspired by the historical imprint of the old truck stop to create the works that are now part of the exhibition Hotel Hwy 11, presented in Sudbury and Hearst.
hôtel hwy 11
a body, a heart, a soul
three things to survive
breakable like the wind
labyrinths of perspective
in a heap of cognitive ruins
inevitable as the end of the
moment
where memories intertwine
among timelines
as morphing geometries
It is my belief that artists have created works which truly reflect these symbols, when I rest my sight upon the site where their creation has occurred
The Body, a boreal jungle-tied shelter, nightly refuge, revived from the binds of time and wear which filled its guts with luminous rot and a myriad of birds
The Heart of this place, the ruins left behind spawning new life in works, phoenix dreams, roaring in echoes of faces on dolls, severed from sight.
The Soul of this place, light on the edge of the horizon hidden by hills and trees, paintings in the sky, the abandon to which we have thrown ourselves, touching the source of dusk and dawn, space growing under glass irises, bringing us back to ourselves, diluted in winter light
Thus, the vision of these three artists converge. Denis Bradette, documenting the Body of the beast. Marc Audette sheds light on the glowing arteries of this place. Denys Tremblay, with his treatment of time, anachronisms and discreet shapes, seized the Soul of our hostel.
Three collections which are both echoes and song, exposing one after another the multiple faces of this space rich in essential geometries
— Daniel Groleau Landry
Partners
Le conseil des arts de Hearst (Galerie 815)
Marc Audette
Marc Audette studied fine art at the University of Quebec in Hull and earned a Masters in Visual Arts from York University. His work has been shown in solo and group exhibitions nationally and internationally including Le Mois de la Photo à Montréal, Le Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec, Galerie 44 (Toronto), the McLaren Art Centre (Barrie) and DiVA Videoart Fair (New York). In addition to teaching in the Faculty of Fine Arts at York University, he teaches a visual arts course in the Multidisciplinary Studies Department at the Glendon campus, and has been curator of the Glendon Gallery since 2001. He is an active member of Le Labo, a francophone production space in Toronto dedicated to research, production, training and showings in the field of multimedia visual arts. His work can be found in several public and corporate collections including the City of Ottawa, the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec and Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP.
Artist ProfileDenis Taman Bradette
Denis Taman Bradette is an artist, educator, and activist based in Northeastern Ontario. He lives off-grid on the Frédérickhouse River, 100 km North of Timmins, Ontario. Denis has had his art shown in Toronto, Ottawa, Québec and Northeastern Ontario. His interests include installation, assemblage and connections with pedagogy, ecology, relational aesthetics and community explorations.
Artist ProfileDaniel Groleau Landry
Daniel Groleau Landry is a multidisciplinary artist with a deep love of poetry. He is a Franco-Ontarian born in Sudbury, Ontario and is one of the most powerful poetic voices of his generation. Passionate about arts and literature, Daniel is involved in many cultural projects, shows, and initiatives promoting literacy and poetry throughout the country. He is also a performance-poetry artist, musician, actor, playwright, and director.
Artist Profile