Machine Project
(March 31 - April 18, 2010)

Machine Projects Poster designed by Paul Morgan.

Machine Project is a Los Angeles performance and installation space investigating art, technology, natural history, science, music, literature, and food. Machine presents events, workshops, and site-specific installations using hands-on engagement to make rarefied knowledge accessible. Beyond their storefront space, Machine Project operates as a loose confederacy of artists producing shows at locations near and far. In The Front Room, Machine Project stages a series of free workshops for a St. Louis audience.

Components of the Machine Project exhibition are as follows:

March 31 – April 18
Working with ideas of physical auditory signal and temporal delay, Machine Project member and LA-based artist Emily Lacy will create a wellspring of musical environments daily, between 1:00 – 3:00 pm, during the exhibition. Drawing on folk and electric influences, Lacy produces soundscapes and experiences that engage the image of “the musician” as it occurs and recurs throughout mythological history and folklore.

Through the use of sound-looping devices that are designed to alter sound, visitors to the exhibition are also invited to join in the journey along a sonic continuum of emergency, echo, and erasure.

Additionally, the museum gift shop will sell a limited-edition poster designed specifically for this exhibition and signed by Machine Project artist Paul Morgan. Posters are priced at $15 each.

Saturday, April 3, 2:00 pm
Come to the Contemporary to celebrate culture through food and learn how to make your own sauerkraut and kimchi. Presented in collaboration with Machine Project, the workshop will be led by chef John Judy, from St. Louis’ own L’Ecole Culinaire. Chef Judy will prepare the fermented condiments according to traditional German and Korean recipes. After the workshop, the concoctions will be allowed to ferment until April 15, 2010, when the culinary creations will be unveiled for tasting at our special Dog & Suds Party. The workshop is free and all ingredients will be provided. Spots are limited. To register, please send an e-mail to Mel Trad, cintern1@camstl.org, with the subject line: Sauerkraut.

Musical Trip to the Dentist Raffle
Visit the Contemporary and drop your name in the raffle box to win a Musical Trip to the Dentist with Machine Project’s Emily Lacy. The folk-singing, banjo-playing, sound-mixing extraordinaire will serenade the winner on his or her way to, from, and during a free dental cleaning. The raffle winner will be announced on April 1, 2010. To enter the raffle, please visit the Contemporary, or send an e-mail to Mel Trad, cintern1@camstl.org, with the subject line: Clean Teeth.

Thursday, April 15, 6:00-9:00 pm: Dog & Suds Party!
Join us in the Contemporary Courtyard to celebrate the culmination of the Machine Project. Enjoy hot dogs, sausages, and beer, and savor the first tastes of house-made sauerkraut and kimchi. The party starts at 6:00 pm. Dogs are free for all.

General support for the Contemporary’s exhibitions program is generously provided by the Whitaker Foundation; The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts; William E. Weiss Foundation; Nancy Reynolds and Dwyer Brown; Missouri Arts Council, a state agency;
Regional Arts Commission; Arts and Education Council; and members of the Contemporary
Art Museum St. Louis.