Four

In the dog house

BY Josh Gurrie, June 20, 2011

The Fluxus artists of the ’60s were a multi-disciplinary bunch who trash-talked the establishment, urged DIY fun, and delighted in chance. However, one Happening those sophisticated hippies couldn’t muster–despite championing Art for the People–was to get the masses on board. Fast-forward to present day and a Frenchman with comparable spirit may have found the answer behind an unassuming storefront in Brooklyn.

Lucien Zayan’s The Invisible Dog is more art compound than pristine white cube. The raw, multi-level building houses two exhibition spaces, 30 artist studios and a basement theatre. Recycled materials and minimal renovations allow the walls to proudly bear the scars of the building’s previous reincarnations.

Prior to becoming a gallery, the space served as a leather-belt factory and the birthplace of the original Invisible Dog leash (exactly what it sounds like BTW). Decades later, Zayan stumbled upon a basement full of the deadstock leads, novelty items during the ’70s, which came in handy for the gallery’s improvised launch event: In true Fluxus form, a flash mob of 2,000 walked imaginary pets down Bergen Street in a fitting, albeit puzzling advertisement for a venue that defies convention.

Zayan’s eccentrics haven’t stopped him from running a successful business–he just gets creative with the serious stuff. For starters, his lease was a simple handshake with the building’s landlord. Tenants’ rental plans are unique as well, and can be customized to the meet the occupant’s resources thanks to moveable walls that adjust each studio’s size. The director’s resolve to put community first has, in turn, made The Invisible Dog a creative hub for the Boerum Hill neighborhood. In addition to the array of in-house-curated shows, the gallery plays host to third-party events such as “county fair”-themed markets, and regularly allows public access to the artists’ works-in-progress.

As New York City heats up again, the good vibes continue via an international summer roster. Reaching beyond its local following, the gallery plans to bring Moroccan film, a panel on cultural shifts in the Middle East and a benefit for South African youth to Brooklyn. It just goes to show Art is indeed for every man… and his dog.

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Images by Simon Courchel for The Invisible Dog.
theinvisibledog.org

Tags Art, Brooklyn, Community, Dance, Exhibitions, Film, Flash Mob, Gallery, New York, Theatre