From January 9 to February 5, 2014, at the Maison du Développement Durable in Montreal, Michel Huneault will exhibit his work on the tragedy that struck the town of Lac-Mégantic in Quebec. On the night of July 6, 2013, a train crashed into the center of the sleeping town. The tanks, filled with oil, exploded, killing 47 and spilling nearly 6 million liters into the nearby river.
This photo essay denounce not only the largest rail disaster in Canadian history but the ecological consequences resulting from corporate negligence, also man’s excessive use and fascination with oil. In North America, there is at least one oil spill per week.
After immediately visiting the scene himself, Huneault traveled regularly to the affected region, developing a special relationship with its people, who received him warmly. During the day, he traveled along the river banks, sometimes 200 kilometers from the tragedy, taking account of the extent of the damages. At night, he focused on the citizens during walks for the series La longue nuit de Mégantic, featured in several Quebec papers.
With its sixty mesmerizing photographs, the exhibition Contamination + Addiction resembles a colorful, backlit mosaic that calls to mind the changing colors of oil slicks floating on the water’s surface. The different hues evoke the passing of the seasons and the lasting damage to the landscape. Part documentary, part installation, this is Huneault’s attempt to raise the public’s awareness of its share in the responsibility.
EXPOSITION
Contamination + Addiction
Maison du développement durable
January 9 – February 5, 2014
50, Sainte-Catherine Ouest
Montréal, Qc
La longue nuit de Mégantic
Maison de la Culture Rosemont
May 23 – July 26, 2014
6707 Avenue de Lorimier
Montreal, Qc
CANADA
