Malkovich - Then Came John

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.

Anne Morin, curator: “To pay homage is to bow to those who, at a certain point in one's life, have played a fundamental role in the development of a life, of a career. Faced with a situation that seemed to have no way back, Sandro Miller decided to pay tribute one last time to the great photographers who have marked out his professional career.

It is a game, but a serious one, because it asks fundamental questions that have to do with the creative process. What is appropriation of the work and its detour, where is the threshold between fiction and reality, and where does irony enter the scene?”

About the Artist

Sandro Miller (US, 1958) is a two-time recipient of the Lucie Foundation “International Photographer of the Year Award” and a prominent commercial photographer with clients including American Express, Nike, BMW and Coca-Cola. He is an ambassador for Nikon USA. His editorial work has been featured in publications such as The New Yorker, GQ and Esquire.

Malkovich | Collector's Edition

The exhibition celebrates the publication of Malkovich | Collector's edition, published by Uitgeverij Komma. The edition - signed by Sandro Miller and John Malkovich - comes with a screen incorporated into the cover, a portrait photo of Malkovich by Miller and more extras.