ArtRx LA
LOS ANGELES — This week, the Cat Art Show returns to LA, Machine Project transforms into an adult movie theater for 24 hours, a video work exploring Michelangelo's two funerals screens, and more.
LOS ANGELES — This week, the Cat Art Show returns to LA, Machine Project transforms into an adult movie theater for 24 hours, a video work exploring Michelangelo’s two funerals screens, and more.
Cat Art Show 2
When: Opens Thursday, March 24, 8–10pm
Where: Think Tank Gallery (939 Maple Avenue, Suite 200, Downtown, Los Angeles)
From cyberspace to art space, cats are being celebrated as both meme and muse at popular, recent events like the Internet Cat Video Festival and the Cats-in-Residence Program. This weekend, the Cat Art Show LA returns for its second edition, with 118 works by over 70 artists, all focused on our lovable, if somewhat aloof, feline companions. Contributors include pop surrealist painter Mark Ryden, tattoo artist Kat Von D, legendary music photographer Mick Rock, as well as The Walking Dead actor Norman Reedus. On Saturday, there will also be a lecture from historian Paul Koudounaris on Wild, Weird, and Heartwarming Stories from Feline History.
Into the Rice Fields
When: Friday, March 25–Sunday, March 27
Where: Automata (504 Chung King Ct., Chinatown, Los Angeles)
Using drawings, paper sets, and moving pictures, Into the Rice Fields portrays a fantastical world on an intimate scale. Written and designed by Yulya Dukhovny, the theatrical production combines the work of Lafcadio Hearn — who wrote about his life in Japan at the turn of the 20th century — with the music of avant-garde composer Tōru Takemitsu. The result is a spellbinding exploration of the Japanese concept of “Ma,” defined as “a void that isn’t empty, an absence that is really a presence.” Check here for showtimes and to purchase tickets.
Sesión Continua: a porn theater in Echo Park
When: Friday, March 25, 11:59pm — Saturday, March 26, 11:59pm
Where: Machine Project (1200 D North Alvarado Street, Echo Park, Los Angeles)
Following on the success of last year’s event, queer cinema platform Dirty Looks returns to Machine Project with another 24-hour marathon of vintage gay erotica and contemporary experimental erotic film. Inspired by the underground gay porn theaters of old, visitors can come and go as they please, stay for a few minutes or a few hours, all for the single price of $12 ($6 for Machine Project members). This year’s Sesión Continua will also feature the Los Angeles premiere of Like Cattle Towards Glow, the debut feature film from writer Dennis Cooper and artist Zac Farley.
Dingbat 2.0 Lecture
When: Saturday, March 26, 2pm
Where: Santa Monica Public Library, MLK Jr. Auditorium (601 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica, California)
Compared with other forms of American residential architecture — Victorian, brownstone, bungalow — the dingbat is often maligned as mundane and undignified. This humble apartment typology, however, was instrumental in creating SoCal’s post-war housing boom, and is a characteristic staple of LA’s urban fabric. A new book, Dingbat 2.0, is the first thorough study of this building type, looking at its history as well as ways that it can be reimagined for current housing needs. This Saturday, the books editors Thurman Grant and Joshua G. Stein will be joined by architectural historian Steven Treffers and architect Barbara Bestor for a discussion at the Santa Monica Public Library.
A Walk Through an Artist’s Dreamworld
When: Saturday, March 26, 3pm
Where: LAXART (7000 Santa Monica Boulevard, Hollywood, Los Angeles)
Katie Grinnan’s current exhibition at LAXART I Dreamt I Stole an Elevator in a Shopping Mall is a surreal trip through the artist’s dream life, a sculptural installation featuring an array of found and constructed objects, including textiles, videos, children’s toys, and more. What better way to experience the work than an informal walkthrough with the artist, which she’ll be leading at 3pm this Saturday, the last day of the show. Stick around for a reading by Jibade-Khalil Huffman from his video installation “What Can I Say About That Suit That Hasn’t Already Been Said About Afghanistan?” at 4pm.
Three Funerals and Some Acts of Preservation
When: Opens Saturday, March 26, 5–7pm
Where: Richard Telles (7380 Beverly Blvd, Fairfax District, Los Angeles)
When Michelangelo died, the legendary artist was given two funerals, one in Rome overseen by the Pope and one in Florence at the request of Cosimo de Medici, highlighting the important role he played in both the sacred and profane worlds. Judy Fiskin’s latest video work, “Three Funerals and Some Acts of Preservation,” begins with this story before leading into a consideration of her own funeral and artistic legacy, delivered with Fiskin’s dry wit. A related exhibition curated by Jan Tumlir, Some Lifestyle Options, will include Fiskin’s architectural photography alongside work by Robert Adams, John Divola, James Welling, Ed Ruscha, and others.
