Talk

MFA Fine Arts presents artist Elaine Byrne and magician Mario Marchese in conversation. Byrne will speak about her work and her recent video installation, featuring found footage of the magic trick of women being sawed in half and interviews with barrier-breaking magician Dorothy Dietrich, also known as "the first lady of magic." Afterward, Marchese will give a magic performance, and a conversation between the two guests will follow.

Elaine Byrne utilizes a research-based methodology to explore a wide range of topics. Both the form and the content of her work evolve as the research proceeds. She often makes use of installation in various forms, including exhibition design, as a way to combine many of her disparate interests. Her work attempts to rupture the historical event, making what we understand as past historical events unstable. She focuses on opening new questions for the viewer to highlight present day urgencies. Giving prominence to language, her methodology often uses the interview as a way to confront difficult legal or civic issues.

Mario "The Maker Magician" Marchese is more than just a performer. He is also an inventor who creates his own props. He is known for his dedication to the Maker Movement and STEAM initiatives and his integration of DIY electronics and robotics into his work. His mission is to inspire his audiences to make, hack and create using things they can readily find in and around their homes. Mario is an award-winning magician with over a decade of full-time experience performing. He is the subject of indie documentary film, Building Magic, and was a part of the tight-knit creative team behind David Blaine's first ever North American tour in 2017.