It comes as no surprise that downtown LA has become the premier location for the city's rising art scene. And it's also where, inside the 440 Hope space located in an alley between Hope and Grand Streets, curator and OCLA friend Jay Ezra Nayssan, along with Anatole Maggiar (both of the French creative group MAD Agency), staged a suspense-filled, one-night-only art show, Against the Grain, that I was lucky enough to witness.
Upon entering the mysterious space, we were ushered into a freight elevator. It would stop at three different floors, each showcasing a performance or installation. Once the doors opened at our first stop, the artist and filmmaker Alia Raza appeared. Dressed in all white with black latex gloves, she performed Hypnotic Cascade Perfumes, in which she profusely sprayed the fragrance all over herself and inside the elevator, leaving us with a delightful whiff of floral aromas that would travel with us onto the next floors.
Again, the doors closed and opened, this time unveiling Lillian Shalom standing nonchalantly next to a live zebra drinking water out of a bowl. Her beautifully arranged jewels hung in front of her and the zebra, while mist sprayed from the ceiling. Moments later, we began traveling to the next level, where a lovely smell exuded from the room. An elaborate floral arrangement of green anthuriums, coleus, kniphofia, created by the talented florist Maurice Harris of Bloom and Plume, was revealed. This was the only floor where we were actually allowed out of the elevator. Soon thereafter, Jos McKain and Nathan Makolandra came out in full body bio-hazard suits to perform an original choreographed ballet. You kind of felt like a voyeur, watching them through a window in an intimate moment.
Overall, the show's setup made for a connection with the artists and a great experience. To be notified for upcoming shows, contact contact@madagency.fr.
Upon entering the mysterious space, we were ushered into a freight elevator. It would stop at three different floors, each showcasing a performance or installation. Once the doors opened at our first stop, the artist and filmmaker Alia Raza appeared. Dressed in all white with black latex gloves, she performed Hypnotic Cascade Perfumes, in which she profusely sprayed the fragrance all over herself and inside the elevator, leaving us with a delightful whiff of floral aromas that would travel with us onto the next floors.
Again, the doors closed and opened, this time unveiling Lillian Shalom standing nonchalantly next to a live zebra drinking water out of a bowl. Her beautifully arranged jewels hung in front of her and the zebra, while mist sprayed from the ceiling. Moments later, we began traveling to the next level, where a lovely smell exuded from the room. An elaborate floral arrangement of green anthuriums, coleus, kniphofia, created by the talented florist Maurice Harris of Bloom and Plume, was revealed. This was the only floor where we were actually allowed out of the elevator. Soon thereafter, Jos McKain and Nathan Makolandra came out in full body bio-hazard suits to perform an original choreographed ballet. You kind of felt like a voyeur, watching them through a window in an intimate moment.
Overall, the show's setup made for a connection with the artists and a great experience. To be notified for upcoming shows, contact contact@madagency.fr.
Visit www.madagency.fr and facebook.com/madagency for more details
Alia Raza - Hypnotic Cascade. Photo courtesy of: Raphael Chatelain for MAD Agency, 2013
Curators Anatole Maggiar and Jay Ezra Nayssan
Inside the freight elevator
Going up 
Alia Raza performing Hypnotic Cascade Perfumes
Lillian Shalom Photo courtesy of: Raphael Chatelain for MADAgency, 2013
Lighting by Boris Levy, floral arrangement by Maurice Harris
Jos McKain and Nathan Makolandra
