MALKOVICH OPENS

Considering that the town of Bloomington has created a personal vendetta against independent art spaces and is trying violently to banish the community’s art facility, I will leave this article somewhat vague. The information is word of mouth, and only as reliable as a stranger’s honest tooth, which I trust sincerely more than my BLONO councilmen. The show that opened the Malkovich gallery was one of wonder. The gallery is easily concealed, and had I known a ladder was in my future, I may have dressed with more pragmatism.

Zach at Malkovich

Zach and I had a few beers before walking to our secret destination, a gallery within a printmaker’s studio within a gallery. We were greeted warmly.

The gallery was built by hand in the ceiling of a broom closet. The size of the space would be comparable to the famous 5th floor of the Whitney at the scale of a tick. The work in the show was created by a group of artists all having a unique and close relationship with the printmaker. There is no argument that any future work showing in this space must, with consideration, be made with the limitations of the space in mind.

The beauty of this space is undeniable. The cork floors and LED lights give a very polished experience. It is as if viewers are climbing into a Jan Svankmajer-esque mockett of a blue-chip Chelsea cousin. Malkovich, again, is in the ceiling. No more than two people can fit with conversational distance, and for a brief time before each becomes aware of each other's body heat and breath. It is intimate in a way that no other gallery experience can be, by force.

The work was good. Well crafted, tiny, but a show of this format easily falls victim to the novelty of the space. It will be interesting to watch the evolution of Malkovich and the less traditional works that will soon exist within.

The word on the wind is that our super secret future could hold video and sound art, where one can lay on their back in an almost completely isolated art experience. As I’ve come to understand, the common attitude of all artists, when there is a ceiling, break it. In this case, break into it, build a gallery and show art.