Cultural Leeches

I received announcements for Machine Project's event at LACMA this week. I scanned the info and after much soul searching (about 2 minutes worth) I decided I didn't like the smell of this self-serving waste of time. Machine Project (http://machineproject.com/) has created an interactive field trip that will do little more than clog up the LA County Museum and waste perfectly good public funds.MP is a non-profit agency which means ,as a gallery, they couldn't make a go of it. Their popularity and categorical success is blunted by the dilapidation that serves as their physical headquarters. Located in a local art hotspot- Echo Park- they've forsaken the locals in their eagerness to branch out. The events are products of creative grant writing binges and the funded projects never really gel until the lights are turned off and the receipts added up, too late to benefit the art-hungry poor and carless critical masses.

The info for this creative roadbump is: http://machineproject.com/engine/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/machinefieldguidetolacma.pdf. Too much drivel, even for my taste- and they admit to not fully imagining the real application of this kindergarten fingerpainting on papier mache covered with glitter and macaroni fun-fest.

Go. Have fun. We'll discuss this later, after you've thought about what you've done.