They were burying people alive the first time I went to Machine Project. Someone had dug a hole in the ground, into which a coffin was lowered. A group of Austrian artists known as monochrom were putting on an event called "Experience the Experience of Being Buried Alive!" It was an invitation to confront death.

"There is no external ventilation," someone announced, "there is no easy means of escape. You will be buried alive for real. People interested in doing this, you'll need to sign the waiver."

One by one, folks got inside the coffin; others power-drilled the lid shut. A video camera projected the proceedings onto a wall, while another camera inside the coffin let those waiting in line observe the interred. A couple on a first date who had asked to be jointly buried began to kiss, and a crew from NPR documented the entire affair.

"The drilling of the lids is taking longer than I thought it would," said a guy dressed like an officiating mortician — black suit, formal shirt, black tie. As it was a warm night to be mucking around with soil and coffins, he was sweating. He swiped a napkin across his forehead. "Next time we're doing mass graves."

The sweaty guy in the mortician suit was Machine Project creator Mark Allen.