Volcanos of Montréal is an exhibition of new paintings by Toronto artist Patrick DeCoste. Mount Royal is often believed to be a dormant volcano formed millions of years ago when molten lava attempted to erupt through the island of Montreal. The artist here imagines awakening that mythical volcano to reveal centuries of human activity on the island, spanning history from the time of Jacques Cartier’s visit to the Iroquois village of Hochelaga in the 1500s to more recent events like the burning of the American pavilion of Expo ‘67. The landscape and architecture of Montreal are presented in new and explosive ways by the Métis artist whose examination of contemporary and historical colonialism aims to foster dialogue between and within Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities in Canada. Patrick DeCoste is an MFA graduate from the Interdisciplinary program at OCAD University in Toronto where he received the President’s Award for Outstanding Achievement in Graduate Studies for his thesis paper and exhibition, which focused on his Nova Scotia Métis heritage. He has exhibited extensively in Toronto and beyond, received numerous grants and awards, including a Chalmers Research Fellowship, and his work has been reviewed in many publications across Canada. Volcanos of Montréal is his first solo exhibition in Montréal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPo10Hy1Cpc