About “Malkovich – Then Came John”

Opening: Saturday, 31 May 17:00 – 20:00

For this project, Sandro Miller has reinterpreted a selection of iconic photographs that have been of great importance for his own career. He painstakingly re-staged some of the hallmarks in the history of the medium and then introduced only one significant change; their main subject became John Malkovich, the celebrated actor and his good friend.

The series is not an act of ironic appropriation. Rather, it is a thoughtful and honest attempt to relive exciting moments in photographic history and to give homage to the often famous subjects and creators of these images. Miller is investigating what makes a portrait stand out in the collective memory. Only by deconstructing the intriguing, intricate interplay between character, camera and setting can he hope to come as close as possible to the original. He has asked John Malkovich to take on the roles of Andy Warhol, Muhammad Ali, Albert Einstein, Meryl Streep and Che Guevara, amongst other wildly unique subjects. In turn, Miller takes place behind the camera and plays the part of Richard Avedon, William Klein, Diane Arbus and many other greats. As a self-taught photographer, he has grown accustomed to respectful emulation as a way to master his craft.