Home is where the art is

In an attempt to rally Atlanta’s artistic communities, Rob Clemens and Waleuska Pallais have put everything on the line — including their home.

Tucked away at 669 McDonald St., on the cusp of dilapidated Reynoldstown and monstrous gentrification, they have transformed their house to function as a low-key venue for music and art. Alongside Chris White, the nucleus behind electronic act Magicicada, they’ve fitted the house with cameras and lots of white space for everything from paintings to projections, allowing the rooms to break free from the constraints of normal gallery and club limitations. The domestic setting is akin to a more relaxed environment than most public forums, providing an art-for-art’s-sake ambiance.

Their efforts culminate with Livingroom: Series 1, a free multimedia event for which Clements, Pallais and White have organized a variety of installations. For this first in an ongoing monthly series, the show features paintings by local artist Loretta Mae Hirsch, and music by Blisters, and Clemens, Magicicada and Pallais’ own group, Figure 1.1. Several short films and an audio/video project called Plant Life will be shown as well.

“The idea is to have artists come here and see it and want to be involved with it, not because we want to make money off of it, but so you don’t have to deal with a six-month waiting list,” says Clemens. “Here, if you have the idea and it’s good enough, you’ll see it happen here in 30 days.”

Livingroom: Series 1 takes place at 669 McDonald St. Mon., Feb. 23. Donations accepted.