Billboards

From La Strotoj Gallery's press packet for Malkaczi's first exhibition
May 9-June 22, 2018:

La Stratoj gallery is delighted to exhibit for the first time the works of renowned street artist Malkaczi. Until this past year, Malkaczi (the Khollami word for “reveal” or “shine a light”) has made his way through the city streets while maintaining perfect anonymity.

Malkaczi’s work lies in the relationship between advertising and the ruling class. He encounters billboards that feel significant to him, and cuts through them to expose surprising juxtapositions. The remaining pieces, sometimes paired with commentary and at times solely with his personal tag, have gained him widespread support. Malkaczi’s work, along with the student rebellion of 2017, has bolstered the anti-corruption movement that lead to the recent political sweeps. With the supportive, new administration, came the option to reveal his identity.

Malkaczi's work toys with Surrealism, forcing a chance encounter to expose meaning in juxtaposition, though in his case, the pieces relate less to the individual psyche, and more to a collective subconscious. Cutting and ripping through the layers of paste and waste, Malkaczi taps into the political climate and the outrage of the people.

In his first exhibition, Malkaczi brings a series of reconstructed billboards sourced from the streets. For the opening he will perform his process on two new pieces for the gallery audience.
MALKACZI
Call Me On Your Car Phone
2018
Paper on wood
36 x 50.4 inches
$7,000
MALKACZI
The Masses Are Drunk
2018
Paper on wood
45 x 36 inches
$5,000
The project of Khollam has allowed me to open the door to an exploration of macro-politics. This series, Billboards, tackles a certain aspect of such - the (arguable) universality of advertising. Tapping into visual language cues, I attempt to dissect popular symbols and formulas, as well as inherent juxtapositions that occur within public campaigns. The character of Malkaczi gives access to both universal versus specific ideas of advertising, as well as notions of artistic subversion. The piece is performed by myself, embodying another artist, and is accompanied by a made-up gallery statement. This meta-narrative tries to engage art and artmaking within the realms of social practice and sociopolitical critique.
-- Dana Melaver, May 2018