Machine Project

Machine Project is located in a storefront in the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. Begun in 2004 by artist Mark Allen, Machine is a “not-for-profit arts organization and community event space dedicated to making specialized knowledge and technology accessible to artists and the general public.”

On any given day at Machine, one might take a workshop on “Basic Electronics for Artists,” “Intro to MIG Welding,” or “Programming the iPhone.” Acting as a platform for artists to present a huge number of live events, performances, installations, poetry readings, and other more uncategorizable events, Machine has developed a reputation for integrating unlikely subjects in a single evening: “Entomology Meets Etymology,” for example, or “Lay Science Puppet Performances.”

Machine describes its terrain as encompassing “art, technology, natural history, science, music, literature, and food,” as well as scores of other keywords that are listed on their website. Machine’s style of presenting promotes intellectual whimsy and hands-on engagement that makes rarefied knowledge accessible. The storefront location is a strategic vehicle for these transactions; it is intentionally in a high traffic (not hard to find) area, and the shop’s front window invites curiosity and entry. Outside of the storefront, Machine operates as a loose confederacy of artists producing shows at locations ranging from the Santa Monica beach to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Hammer Museum.

Further Reading

Index of Work: http://machineproject.com/projects/

Machine Project, Jan 8, 2011: http://vimeo.com/19462385

Furniture Music: A concert for Household Objects: http://vimeo.com/79259393