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Artist Bio

Artist Statement

My work focuses on social history and community. On showing the humble and proud nature of people in private moments in public and private spaces. My goal is to share my love and respect for humanity and make art that brings people together through time. I also want those that view my work to be present in the art and to lose their awareness of how long they have spent looking at it. And I try show incomplete stories to trigger dialogue with the viewer and invite the audience to engage in the narratives. Many people have commented that they see themselves in my work. ‘ I've been to that party’, ‘that’s me!’ ‘I know that corner’, or ‘I know how that feels.’

 

Out of my regard for people, I studied philosophy, law and photography, all disciplines ultimately devoted to understanding society and its behaviour. I have been a professional photographer for 24 years. I am very invested in my gear. But, with all this, when I work alone I feel limited. I work best with open collaboration with my subjects and my artistic team. I am sincerely grateful.

Originally from Medellin, Colombia, Jorge studied philosophy and law in Bogota. With multiple artists and collectors in his family, some of them notable, he is a self -taught photographer. Because of this education, his artistic ideas are deeply embedded in Greek and German philosophy. His interest in community, history and society as a deep observer was reinforced by his immigration to Vancouver, Canada in 2004 when he and his family were uprooted as refugees. His first Canadian photographic exhibition was in 2006 at the Canada Export Centre. In 2008, Jorge was the valedictorian of his graduating class in Entertainment Business Management at Vancouver Film School.  He has long held leadership positions within Vancouver’s Latin American community and has worked with a number of consulates. In 2010 he was the official photographer for the Swiss Olympic team.  Since then his artistic practice has been continuously growing. His art opening on August 2019 at the Terminal City Club, Vancouver marked a new phase in his artistic development. In attendance were his mentors Rodney Graham and Ian Wallace as well as major gallery curators and art patrons. This was to present Main & 3rd, his pilot project for an ongoing series. Its reception has been remarkably successful. He and his team have finalised a 2nd project, funded by the Canada Council for the Arts entitled ' Filmores Hotel' Which was first exhibited at the Toronto Contact Photography Festival in May 2024 and has since had a number of other appearances.

Work

Main & 3rd

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Description

Main & 3rd was inspired by a building the artist loved, spent time with and celebrated new years in. It was full of friends, bohemians and fellow artists. It was a place in a now very expensive city where everyday people could live. Jorge was first attracted to the building as its corner had a 35 year-old antique store full of curiosities owned by a knowledgeable and hospitable gentleman. Jorge knew this building and its inhabitants for a decade. This was his neighbourhood. This was his corner. The city of Vancouver made more sense due to the friendships and community of this building. To discover it was to be demolished was heartbreaking and bewildering. With such close connections he had a deep empathy for those soon to be evicted for development. At the same time, Jorge appreciated that such change is part of the metamorphosis of a city. With all this in mind he was inspired to find a way to truly remember this building and honour its community and conceived of his unique photographic process.  

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Filmores Hotel

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Description

The Filmores Hotel is an iconic edifice in the heart of Toronto. An affordable hotel with a gentleman's club underneath it. It was once a high end long term residence. It is at least 110 years old. Its neon signage is in a delightful contrast with its elegant Edwardian architecture. It once hosted a lesbian bar.

Some have worked there for more than 30 years. It has been a set for movies, music videos and TV shows. A stopover for student travellers, new immigrants and the near broke. Its stones and bricks are full of character and grit. Its successor is a clean and bright cement and glass 522 unit, 42 story residential tower. The layers of old stories to be replaced with a blank slate.

The Filmores Hotel has many stories to tell. Not all of them are happy or pretty, but genuine and human.

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This exhibition, 'Filmores Hotel' speaks about one of Toronto's landmarks, as well as the core of a vibrant community. Colombian born artist Jorge Posada, is presenting for the first time his four-year long research into the living history and humanity of the site, while mapping the changing cityscape of Toronto's downtown. How does architecture influence us and the way we live?

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Supported by the Canada Council of the Arts (Explore and Create) Posada and his team, present Filmores Hotel's essence, in a photographic documentary that unveils the personal narratives of the people surrounding the historic hotel and gentlemen's club. In the context of change, Posada's camera strives to preserve and immortalize its narratives through passionate research and the photographic recreation of its stories. As part of his process, dedicated to celebrating and honouring this community, Jorge has forged lifelong friendships.

 

'Filmores Hotel' is a homage to the building, to the Garden District, to Toronto and to Canada.

 

Presented here in the form of a portrait series and a single central piece. The portraits are of the people that shape the Filmores community, each of them captured in a curated setting tied to their relation to the building. The one central piece recreates the stories Posada has observed, heard and often recorded in interviews over the span of four years. Each of these portraits is a testament to the desire of the Filmores Hotel community to share and document what happened here and how it shaped their lives as well as the trust they placed in Jorge.

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Posada's conceptual photography and practice centers on collaboration and love, with his research stemming from close engagement with the community.

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Posada's lightbox presents many real stories recreated on site with cast and crew, aiming to encapsulate the soul of the Filmores Hotel within a single work. Committed to unearthing and sharing untold stories, Posada perpetuates the legacy of the Filmores Hotel for generations to come.

For Sales Inquires and Commissions Please Call 416-716-7548 or email info@talentosaproductions.com

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