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Mario's Furniture is a large open space, used as an artist studio and video facility. Opened in the fall of 2001, Mario's Furniture's primary intent is to create a laboratory for artists to experiment with their work, either finished or in-progress, and to see it fully installed and functioning, before an invited audience. Older pieces also, that have not profited from large enough exposure, can receive public attention once more.
The building is an empty interior shell used for projections and installations. The artists make use of the equipment offered by Mario's and receive technical support to set up their project. The curatorial component of these exhibitions varies with each event; normally, it is an open collaboration between staff and artists.
The
first event was a one-night event featuring "Flood", a video-projection
piece by Enid Baxter Blader; "Deliver Me Gently", a single channel
piece by Justin Moore, and a new wall painting by Alessandro Violi. The
projection of "Little One" and "Little Two" premiered
the first two compilations of video shorts by LA-based artists, produced
in December 2001 by Chloé R.Ziegler.
Mario’s Furniture is a hybrid -- neither a non-profit art gallery nor an artist-run space. More of a “lab”, it functions simultaneously as a studio for painter and new media artist Alessandro Violi and as an exhibition space. It is still in the process of defining its multiple functions: a studio and residence; and a space committed to exhibit the work of local artists using time-based media, whether video, experimental film, music or sound. Mario’s seeks to create a community that includes local residents, artists, and curators who will serve both as an audience and as producers. Mario's is intended as a work space, a learning lab, and finally an exhibition venue for showing work from this community with no formal or thematic boundaries.
The idea of a lab emphasizes the opportunity for artists to see their work - either finished or in-progress - installed and fully functioning, as well as offering a venue to show underexposed work to a community of peers, friends, curators, etc. Some artists who show regularly in galleries also find it interesting to be given more freedom to show under different conditions, or offer older pieces brief, renewed exposure. Artists without gallery representation, can test work and installation conditions in a space almost their own.
Mario's Furniture exhibits time-based work, stand alone pieces, and installations without discrimination based on current local trends or professional identity. Springing from the frustration of both artists and curators to view work shown without a fixed institutional or commercial agenda, Mario's Furniture was born with the intention of exploring the possibilities of spontaneous choice, neutral objectives, and a serendipitous time table. Exhibitions at Mario's may originate from artists or from the Mario's regular exhibition organizer Chloe Ziegler.
The non sequitur nature of the programming has become a direct reflection of the initial decision not to renovate the building, which has remained virtually untouched since the beginning and does not follow the traditional white cube directives for showing artwork. The environment instead adapts to each new situation, show and installation. The continual changes of Mario's contiguous residential and commercial surroundings have also influenced its routines and modus operandi.
Mario's Furniture is comprised of one long building situated in the back of a commercial building’s parking lot in Cypress Park. The address is 3436 North Figueroa Street, between Riverside Boulevard to the South and Marmion Way to the North. It is a shell that can be used for projections and installations of different kinds. The artists are offered to use the space for a length of time usually not to exceed 2 weeks (most events last one week-end) and are asked to think of the exhibition in terms of an “event” rather than the traditional museum or gallery show. All of the equipment present on the premice is available to the artist -- computers, sound equipment, video projectors and additional equipment is found as it is needed.
Since opening in 2001, over twenty events have been organized at Mario’s Furniture, either on the artist’s sole initiative or curated by Chloé R. Ziegler and/or Alessandro Violi. Artists, gallery owners and museum curators have visited these installations. The rate of exhibitions is of about 8 shows a year at this time. Events have included some experimental concerts and performances.
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