Andrew Tosiello’s matchbook tickets can go up and down. Buy them during the Art in Odd Places Festival and win big

Can you believe the Art in Odd Places Festival is just a few days away? We hope to see you during the Opening Event @ Theater Lab this Friday. If you haven’t RSVPd, now is your chance to do it:

http://tinyurl.com/aiop-opening

To keep the excitement going, we are featuring another artist appearing on 14th street come October. On a previous entry, we mentioned about “bartering” through the works of Heather Hart. This time, 2010 AiOP artists Andrew Tosiello, is encouraging everyone to GAMBLE. With his project called “The Numbers Racket”, Andrew will be selling match books tickets at various businesses on 14th Street. What is fascinating about this project is the method of determining the winning number: a formula from the stock prices report. Stock Prices?? Where do you even begin to wrap your head around the idea? You now ask what does the winner get? Well, I encourage you to check the Art in Odd Places website, take a chance and play the game. Andrew’s work is definitely not your grade school raffle drawing.

Andrew Tosiello

Aiop: Tell us about you
AT: I live in work in San Francisco, CA. My work employs the images, history and tactics of the Italian-American Mafia to consider the work of art. I also work in the trucking industry.

Aiop: How did you hear about Art in Odd Places?
AT: Curator Petrushka Bazin and I both attended the California College of the Arts and she had participated in an earlier version of my numbers racket project.

Aiop: What made you decide to submit a proposal for the Festival?
AT: The location and theme of the festival seemed tailor-made for this project.

Aiop: How is the preparation coming along for your piece this October?
AT: I’m basically all set for the project. Now I just need to get to New York.

Aiop: What’s your favorite spot on 14th street?
AT: I can’t really recall any places on 14th Street from previous visits, but I’m sure I’ll find a favorite during the festival.

Aiop: Do you have a hidden talent you would like to share?
AT: No.

Aiop: Any message to the people who will be in 14th street during the festival?
AT: Players Win and Winners Play.

Just as he said, Winners are players! Check the website and the Art in Odd Places twitter feed (@ArtinOddPlaces) to find his performance dates and location.