All Programs
Rad, Bad, and Sad
The Rad, Bad, and Sad Show: LIVE! Ben Warwas and Adam Dunn review past installations of M_A with the audience as their guest. The two young designers treat their audience to a night of architectural banter. The Rad, Bad & Sad Show is an online talk show about architecture in Los Angeles. Previous episodes can be viewed online.
Reading Group on the Picturesque
The Reading Group features a seminar-style discussion on the topic of the Picturesque, hosted by M_A, Los Angeles Design Group, and invited participants. Everyone is welcome to attend. Readings will be distributed to the public two weeks in advance of the discussion.
RSVP to receive the digital reader: contact@materialsandapplications.org with the subject "Reading Group RSVP"
An Oyster Retreat
A One Day Fundraising Event for Materials & Applications
At the Sunday Meet & Greet at the Oyster Gourmet, M_A Directors and the Los Angeles Design Group architect team shared their favorite moments of the design and exhibition, The Kid Gets Out of the Picture. Ticket price included small eats and oyster selections by Christophe Happillon (owner of Oyster Gourmet), a curated selection of wine from Silver Lake Wines, and a copy of the M_A 10 year Catalogue. All proceeds went to support M_A’s public and experimental architecture programming!
Special thanks to Christophe Happilon and Oyster Gourmet for their generous support.
The Kid Gets Out of the Picture Opening Reception
Join us Saturday October 15th from 6-9pm for the public opening of The Kid Gets Out of the Picture.
The Kid Gets Out of The Picture
The Kid Gets Out of the Picture is a contemporary update on the aesthetic principles of early 19th century English landscape architecture. By the early-nineteenth century, practitioners of the English picturesque had invented a catalog of objects (follys, ha-has, viewpoints) that worked to produce the pictorial effects of landscape painting within real space. Lumps, clumps, and masses made it possible, in a sense, to occupy the picture.
The Kid Gets Out of the Picture is a three-month-long exhibition that returns to the catalog of nouns developed by the picturesque to ask how these tactics can be deployed in reverse, extracting the qualities of images and literalizing them in the real world.
Guest curated by Los Angeles Design Group, the project is a collaborative installation by LADG,First Office, Laurel Broughton/Andrew Kovacs, and Hirsuta.
Exhibition Images
Public Programs
TURF The Finale
Due to a bout of vandalism Friday night, we regret to announce that TURF: A Mini-Golf Project is closing two days early (July 30) and our finale event is postponed. We are working with our TURF teams to repair some of the obstacles and will re-install them at the Craft and Folk Art Museum in August for future play. Despite this setback, we want to thank all our friends, supporters, and putt-putt aficionados for making this project a resounding success. We had a spectacular summer transforming this Echo Park corner lot into a neighborhood pocket park with your support!
Hear LA
TURF will transform into an in-stereo mini-golf course on Saturday, July 16th beginning at 7pm. Play a round of putt-putt, then take an auditory tour of TURF: A Mini-Golf Project with artist George Jensen for HEAR L.A.: An Audio Document of Los Angeles. Each TURF hole will feature a unique multi-channel sound installation documenting pockets of Los Angeles as they pertain to the individual obstacles and the city.
About the Artist
George Jensen is an artist based in Los Angeles, CA. His field recording work is captured and performed in quadraphonic, most recently at Dallas Ambient Music Night (DAMN) in October 2015, where he debuted Field Recordings at Partington Cove. As part of the new age duo Sneaky Snake, Jensen participated in Knowledges at Mount Wilson Observatory, performing a 3-hour quadraphonic piece during a public viewing of Saturn through the 60-ft telescope. During Dublab's Tonalism in August 2014, Jensen and his musical collaborator Tim Phillips performed a sunrise quad set as Phillips & Jensen, and Phillips & Jensen's cassette Patra was recently released through Austin's Holodeck Records. Jensen has experimented with his own Line 6 sound system at private events in Highland Park, and performed Field Recordings At Partington Cove with Wind Chime at Tonalism 2015.
HEAR L.A.: An Audio Document of Los Angeles is curated by Jess Castillo.
TURF Director's Walkthrough
We’ve teamed up with De-Lab for a special night of cocktails and (mini golf) clubbing. Join us on July 7th at 6pm for a Director’s Walkthrough with Jia Gu and Courtney Coffman, one round of mini golf on nine pars, and two cocktails.
Selected architects include Knowhow Shop, Ordinary Architecture, Kyle May, Besler & Sons, Heyday Partnership, G!LL!S, Endemic and others.
$15 includes the Director's Walkthrough, 1 round of mini golf, and 2 drink tickets.
Due to the size of the venue, space is extremely limited and we do expect to sell out, so don’t hesitate to buy your ticket today.
About the Exhibition
TURF: A Mini-Golf Project explores the meaning of terrain and territory in Los Angeles through the architecture of mini-golf. The mini-golf course becomes a playful trope of the city of Los Angeles, articulated through artificial terrains, winding territories and fantastical architecture. Launched as an open call in 2015, TURF asked architects, designers and artists to design a single architectural obstacle that investigates a contemporary Los Angeles condition — including topics such as drought and lawns, parking and traffic, nature and neighborhoods, housing typologies and identity — in the form of the miniature and the absurd. Materials & Applications (M_A) presents nine architectural obstacles that explore topics relevant to Los Angeles today, including topography and territory, greenscapes and waterscapes, housing and traffic, and the ground beneath our feet. Both pleasure and obstacle are par for the course.
TURF Tournament
You love pop up pocket-parks and neighborhood putt-putt. You rock at mini-golf, love the smell of astroturf, and crave the sweet taste of victory. Most importantly, you care about experimental architecture in Los Angeles and want to support M_A's unique public programming.
What: Fierce mini-golf competition at M_A's pop-up mini-golf course in Echo Park! Co-hosted with LA Design Festival, TURF: Tournament features an afternoon of playful rivalry, salty vibes and summer cocktails in support of Materials & Applications experimental and public architecture programs!
Why: The TURF Tournament is a summer benefit event for Materials & Application, a 501c3 tax exempt organization. All registration fees and donations are tax deductible. Tournament registration and sponsorship directly supports our experimental and public architecture programs. Support Los Angeles architects, designers and artist by registering your team today!
When: Sunday, June 26, 2PM - 6PM**
** Note: Due to forecasted heat, hours have changed from 12-4pm to 2-6pm!**
Where: 1601 Park Ave, Los Angeles CA 90026 (Corner of Echo Park Ave / Park Ave)
Details:
$500 entry fee per 4 person team. Your entry fee is a tax deductible donation to M&A. Thank you!
Time (arrive 15 minutes prior to tee time for check in)
Each player will be provided with a ball, a putter, 2 drink tickets
Winning team will be lauded on social media
Awards for most holes-in-one, lowest score, best golf attire will also be presented
Come ready to play!
Participating Teams
Belzberg Architecture
Ordinary Architecture
Ball-Nogues Studio
Los Angeles Design Festival
Elly Ward
Mas LA!
And more!
About the Exhibition
TURF: A Mini-Golf Project explores the meaning of terrain and territory in Los Angeles through the architecture of mini-golf. The mini-golf course becomes a playful trope of the city of Los Angeles, articulated through artificial terrains, winding territories and fantastical architecture. Launched as an open call in 2015, TURF asked architects, designers and artists to design a single architectural obstacle that investigates a contemporary Los Angeles condition — including topics such as drought and lawns, parking and traffic, nature and neighborhoods, housing typologies and identity — in the form of the miniature and the absurd. Materials & Applications (M_A) presents nine architectural obstacles that explore topics relevant to Los Angeles today, including topography and territory, greenscapes and waterscapes, housing and traffic, and the ground beneath our feet. Both pleasure and obstacle are par for the course.
TURF Launch Party
Join us for our public launch of TURF: A Mini-Golf Project as we tee-off with a night of play. Free rounds of mini-golf, a cash bar, and the public unveiling of nine miniature projects by our architecture teams!
About the Exhibition
TURF: A Mini-Golf Project explores the meaning of terrain and territory in Los Angeles through the architecture of mini-golf. The mini-golf course becomes a playful trope of the city of Los Angeles, articulated through artificial terrains, winding territories and fantastical architecture. Launched as an open call in 2015, TURF asked architects, designers, and artists to design a single architectural obstacle that investigates a contemporary Los Angeles condition — including topics such as drought and lawns, parking and traffic, nature and neighborhoods, and housing typologies and identity — in the form of the miniature and the absurd. Materials & Applications (M&A) presents nine architectural obstacles that explore topics relevant to Los Angeles today, including topography and territory, greenscapes and waterscapes, housing and traffic, and the ground beneath our feet. Both pleasure and obstacle are par for the course.