Some neat vending machine news appeared last week out of the annual CES conference in Las Vegas. Now, you may well ask, what does the CES – or consumer electronics showcase – and vending machines have in common? Meet the Art-o-Mat, a retrofitted cigarette vending machine (the kind that are now banned in the States) that dispenses packs of art. Clark Wittington, the artist, first took advantage of the old-style vending models and turn one into an art dispenser, appropriately, for a show at a cafe in Winston-Salem. When the show was over, the cafe owner asked to keep the machine.
A group of artists, appropriately named “Artists in Cellophane” is now committed to the blending of art and commerce through the Art-o-mat, which allows for art to be personal and approachable. And with Art-o-mats located in 32 states and one in Canada, they are succeeding like gangbusters. Roberto Baldwin, a blogger writing for wired.com reported on it, “This machine dispenses tiny pieces of art for $5. I only have $3. [I’m] Sure there’s a metaphor for 4K TVs in there somewhere.”
Well, maybe we can’t help you with that, or with reconstituting ancient vending machines for creative new purposes, but for all your snack vending machine, drink vending machine, and other general vending needs, turn to the best vending machine manufacturers in the business: USelectIt.