Agosto Machado

Agosto Machado (died March 21, 2026) was an American performance and visual artist, activist, and archivist. He was a major figure in the New York City downtown arts scene beginning in the 1960s. He was a member of the pioneering gay activist group the Gay Activists Alliance.

Biography

Machado was born in Manhattan, likely in September or October in the late 1930s. Machado then moved one block south to East Third Street, naming this space "The Forbidden City."

Machado chose the name Agosto Machado for himself in 1959. The name "Machado" was a tribute to the Chinese-Portuguese fashion model China Machado.

The first play he was in was Vain Victory by Jackie Curtis in 1971. He performed with various experimental theater productions in downtown Manhattan venues, including Caffe Cino and La MaMa. Due to stigmatization of HIV/AIDS patients and ignorance of disease transmission, Machado and his friends were frequently ostracized in social settings.

Activism He was active in the Stonewall Riots in 1969. When reflecting on the Riots, he said, "The situation at hand was like a magnet. With street kids like me, we had nothing to lose. That was the action of the moment and the time. It was an event." Gallerists Sam Gordon and Jacob Robichaux mounted exhibitions of Machado's work in 2022 at their gallery, Gordon Robichaux, and in 2024 at Art Basel Miami Beach. Shrines were acquired by the Museum of Modern Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art. In 2026, four of his shrines, including one to Eichelberger, were selected for the 2026 Whitney Biennial. frieze reported that Machado was "believed to be in his 80s".