The Mortal Machine Gallery Podcast

Photographer BEEGATS joins Mortal Machine for a conversation about place, struggle, and why some cities shape artists differently.

We get into Columbus, Ohio as a place to live compared to New Orleans, why New Orleans keeps pulling people in, and what makes the Crescent City feel spiritually different from almost anywhere else. We also talk about the underdog journey as its own form of art — inspired by the results of the latest WWE event, Night of Champions.

This episode is about photography, cities, grit, community, and what it means to turn your life into something worth looking at.

ABOUT Mortal Machine:
Mortal Machine is a contemporary art gallery based in the historic French Quarter of New Orleans, operating at 940 Royal Street.

Founded and curated by artist Gabriel Shaffer, Mortal Machine presents dynamic exhibitions and projects featuring artists working at the intersection of Contemporary Folk, Pop Surrealism, Lowbrow, Outsider, New Contemporary, Dark Art, Erotica, and Street Art.

ABOUT the Mortal Machine Podcast:
Equal parts thoughtful and irreverent, the Mortal Machine Podcast favors real talk over industry polish - diving into process, survival, success, failure, and the strange paths creative lives tend to follow. Hosted by gallery founder and curator Gabriel Shaffer alongside New Orleans comedian Chris Trew.

Chris and Gabe talk with Kyla Bernberg, owner of 812 Royal Gallery on Royal Street, about Michael Finkel’s The Art Thief, running galleries in New Orleans, the psychology of art theft, and the dangerous line between loving art and needing to possess it.

Buy art from Mortal Machine here.

It's NBA Finals time! Gabe tells the story of meeting Michael Jordan, the hosts explore why basketball is the most artistic sport, and then tackle a ridiculous but fascinating question: who is the Victor Wembanyama of the arts world—a once-in-a-generation talent changing what's possible in their medium?

This week on the Mortal Machine Podcast, Chris and Gabe talk about the reality of running a creative business: managing a gallery, protecting your energy, and figuring out how to keep the work flowing without letting the work take over your life.

They get into the business side of art, the pressure to constantly do more, and why getting older sometimes means learning how to do less — but better. It’s a conversation about creative flow, time management, burnout, and building a life where the work still feels alive.

What happens when performance art, absurdity, athleticism, and internet chaos collide in the streets of New Orleans?

This week we talk with Ingrid Victoria about the wild world of human horse races — the underground-feeling spectacle where people become jockeys, horses, and maniacs all at once. We get into how these races started, why people are so obsessed with them, the line between art and competition, and what happens when a ridiculous idea suddenly becomes a real cultural event.

We also talk New Orleans performance culture, creating experiences people can’t stop talking about, and why the best live events feel a little dangerous, a little stupid, and completely unforgettable.

During the chaos, beauty, and psychic overload of Jazz Fest weekend, artist Ravi Zupa sits down with Chris and Gabe at Mortal Machine Gallery to talk about art that feels handmade, dangerous, spiritual, and alive.

They get into Ravi’s instantly recognizable style — equal parts punk flyer, religious iconography, tattoo flash, revolutionary propaganda, and folk art — and why polished “content” culture has made real human-made art feel more important than ever. The conversation spirals through culinary hot takes, New Orleans during Jazz Fest, and what it means to make work that actually survives algorithm culture.

A loud, sweaty, funny, existential Jazz Fest weekend conversation from inside the madness of New Orleans.

Buy Ravi's work here.

This week we sit down with Anya Sapozhnikova, co-founder of Devotion Studios—a reformer Pilates and aerial fitness studio tucked right into the madness of the French Quarter.

Anya brings a wild mix of backgrounds: performance roots at House of Yes, a deep understanding of movement as both art and discipline, and now the very real challenge of running a business in one of the most chaotic neighborhoods in America.

We get into what it actually takes to build something intentional in a place built on distraction, how performance translates into entrepreneurship, and why Pilates might secretly be one of the most powerful tools for mental and physical transformation.

Also: snakes in the studio, aerial acrobatics, and why “working out” might be the least interesting way to describe what’s happening at Devotion.

ABOUT Mortal Machine:
Mortal Machine is a contemporary art gallery based in the historic French Quarter of New Orleans, operating from two adjacent spaces at 940 & 938 Royal Street.

Founded and curated by artist Gabriel Shaffer, Mortal Machine presents dynamic exhibitions and projects featuring artists working at the intersection of Contemporary Folk, Pop Surrealism, Lowbrow, Outsider, New Contemporary, Dark Art, Erotica, and Street Art.

ABOUT the Mortal Machine Podcast:
Equal parts thoughtful and irreverent, the Mortal Machine Podcast favors real talk over industry polish - diving into process, survival, success, failure, and the strange paths creative lives tend to follow. Hosted by gallery founder and curator Gabriel Shaffer alongside New Orleans comedian Chris Trew.

Is pro wrestling just entertainment—or is it one of the most misunderstood art forms in the world? This episode dives into the storytelling, character work, and spectacle that make wrestling feel a lot closer to theater than sport.

We break down whether WWE deserves a place in the art world, then shift gears into WrestleMania predictions—what should happen versus what will happen (because those are rarely the same). Expect strong opinions, questionable logic, and a deep respect for the chaos.

What’s actually happening in the art world right now? We break down the biggest stories—from major auctions and market shifts to museum controversies, artist moves, and the trends people aren’t talking about enough.

No fluff, no gatekeeping—just a fast, opinionated rundown of what matters, what’s overhyped, and what it all means if you care about art (or want to understand where it’s headed next).

Presented by Mortal Machine Gallery in New Orleans.

We sit down with dark surrealist painter Michelle Melcher to talk about why graveyards might be some of the most overlooked art galleries in the world—and how death, folklore, and history shape her work.

From memento mori to ghost stories, Michelle breaks down the inspirations behind her latest show at Mortal Machine Gallery and how she balances classical oil painting techniques with eerie, modern themes. We get into the beauty of decay, the storytelling power of cemeteries, and why confronting death might actually make your art—and your life—better.

If you’ve ever walked through a graveyard and felt something… this one’s for you.

Buy Michelle's art from Mortal Machine