Heaven Malone is an experiential artist who crafts social experiments as conceptual art projects. Heaven Malone swiftly became a fixture in Chicago’s underground music scene after moving from New Orleans, organizing parties with industrial acts like Ministry and My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult. Transitioning to DJing, he spun alongside members of 80s favorites like Echo & The Bunnymen and The Smiths, as well as contemporary stars such as LCD Soundsystem and Steve Aoki.
In collaboration with friends, Malone launched a pre-Facebook social networking site to highlight the desperation for human contact in the digital world.
“Disappear Here,” based on a reference in the Bret Easton Ellis novel “Less Than Zero,” put relatively unknown artists searching for fame onto missing person posters wheatpasted across the City of Chicago. After hiring makeup artists to bloody up guests, the concept evolved into
“Die Tonight.”
As the multi-media museum fashion exhibition
“David Bowie Is...” came to its first American showing, Heaven Malone partnered with the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago to produce multiple launch events. These events generated the first acknowledgement about the exhibit opening by
David Bowie and
Iman.
Malone’s relationship with the MCA grew as he became the first-ever (and only) DJ for the Vernissage launch event of Chicago’s International Exposition of Contemporary & Modern Art –
EXPO Chicago.
Malone converted a 60ft rooftop swimming pool into a gold plated skull catacomb and underwater photobooth at Soho House Chicago for their Ghosts of the White City exhibit on Halloween. A partnership with Soho House NY for a Post-Armory Show event put Malone on the stage again in the art world.
Seeing the gross commercialization of pop-up bars, Malone created one of his own as dark social commentary.
“Room 237,” which opened to rave reviews. But few saw the irony of a pop-up bar about a murderous alcoholic. To counter-balance the negative male energy, Malone created
“Rhiannon,” a shrine to positive female energy, witchcraft, and of course, Stevie Nicks.
For the cover of Ladytron’s eponymous and final album, artist
Reuben Wu photographed Malone running into a forrest fire.
On the French Riviera, Heaven Malone DJed the official opening and closing galas of the
Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. As well as lended a hand art directing the galas and the first ever beach dedicated to diversity, equality and inclusion.
