Kyle Alden Martens

Artist in Residence | May 9th – June 1rst, 2024

Kyle Alden Martens is an interdisciplinary artist based in Montréal.

He graduated from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design University in 2015 with a BFA in Intermedia. He is a recent MFA graduate in sculpture at Concordia University and were supported by the Dale and Nick Tedeschi Arts Fellowship, the Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarship (SSHRC), and the Fonds de Recherche du Québec – Société et culture (FRQSC).

Throughout Martens practice whispers of touch and tension are hinted at in referential forms like gloves, marbles, and knots. Clothing serves as an allusion, throughout his practice, to fitting and fitting in. In some cases, objects nest perfectly into places designed with care and attention to accommodate them. In others, fitting is more theoretical, calling into question how queer bodies take up space. Each series presents a cohort of friendly and fetishized objects, installations, performances, and videos—seductive yet unruly, softly rebellious. Martens has exhibited with Patel Brown, Bradley Ertaskiran, Pangée, Circa Art Actuel, and the Leonard & Bina Ellen Art Gallery in Montréal, AXENÉO7 in Gatineau, as well as the Khyber Centre for the Arts in Halifax. His exhibition PORTABLE CLOSETS, has been shown nationally at Stride Gallery, Centre CLARK, and Eastern Edge Gallery.

His practice is currently supported by a Canada Council for the Arts creation grant where he is investigating sites of storage to find alternative metaphors for the proverbial closet. He is a current laureate of the Claudine and Stephen Bronfman Fellowship in Contemporary Art.

Photo credits: B Brookbank

Residency Project

” Taking inspiration from tearaway clothing, pulley systems, and marionettes this project will focus on building a video work where layering and layered clothing are the central character. Ropes, strands, and threads will be pulled out of frame to tear, unsnap, or peel clothing from a performer that reveal to another layer of clothing or objects underneath.  ”

-Kyle Alden Martens, 2024

Kyle has worked on his residency project at the Centre de production DAÏMÔN between May 9th and June 1rst, 2024. He will also be presenting this video piece and offering an artist talk about his practice on July 24th, 2024, between 7:00 and 9:00 PM in our BlackBox. For all details about this artist talk, check out the Facebook event.