The Plastic Bag Store by Robin Frohardt: Have you ever heard about the meaning of “karma”? It is commonly used in Eastern religions and it is said that each action we do is going to affect us again in the future, like the cause and effect of our decisions. Meaning that what we give to the world, we will receive again in some way.
The Plastic Bag Store presented in CAP UCLA is an art installation and immersive film created by artist Robin Frohardt that symbolizes our karma of the 20th and 21st centuries. Our overconsumption and exploitation of single-use plastics have created one of the biggest challenges we have ever faced, the acceleration of the climate crisis.
Everything that we believe we have thrown away, is coming back to us. Whether we find it as microplastics in our food, pollution in the air or the total destruction of ecosystems, plastic and overconsumption are not the exceptions but the rule of the karmic future we are all a part of.
In honor of the ironic and overwhelming situation that we have gotten ourselves into, Robin Frohardt created The Plastic Bag Store, an art exhibition and film that aims to make us conscious observers of our world and what we consume. It looks like a real grocery store, however, it is a literal representation of it where more than 10,000 pieces of saved single-use plastic were transformed into handcrafted art items and exhibited in the store shelves as the typical products we can find at the supermarket.
Each one of the art pieces designed as store products uses the branding of the world’s most-consumed brands and makes an ironic twist in their copies and slogans. The attention to detail of the store is what makes this experience so unique and mind-blowing. You can listen to the store’s staff announcing that you don’t have to worry about expiration dates because plastic is forever. As Robin Frohardt says, The Plastic Bag Store exhibition and film is a reminder of the “foreverness of plastic” and the “permanence of the disposable”.
Plastic is Forever
On one hand, the Plastic Bag Store is a wake-up call that we urgently need to attend. Robin Frohardt’s art exhibition is an x-ray of our lifestyle and our urge to consume mass-produced products that are harming us and the environment.
Let’s think about it for a second. We buy food wrapped in plastic, we pack it with plastic bags, we cook and bake with plastic utensils, we sometimes serve our food in single-use plastic plates, and if this wasn’t enough we eat microplastics. Oh, and we throw away the leftovers in plastic bags. Terrifying, right?
On the other hand, The Plastic Bag Store is so much more than a critique of today’s world. Because of Robin Frohardt’s humorous approach, it can be seen as an invitation to think about a world that is not full of plastic but instead full of creative possibilities where we can definitely change how we live.
The art exhibition is an immersive experience for everyone. It speaks to those who have not dimensioned the emergency and how we are literally surrounded by the problem. It also speaks to those who truly believe we can do something to help, whether it is to be more mindful consumers in our next stop at the store, to taking further climate actions.
The Plastic Bag Store has its own and unique plastic time machine where you can see how the plastic will look in the time period you choose. I can assure you that the result will be dreadful, sarcastic, and unexpected.
Our constantly stressed lives make us forget to be mindful observers and to ask questions. Why do we do things the way we do? Is there an alternative? I believe there are too many distractors. In a world full of discounts, promotions, and Colored Fridays, the only thing that is certain is that we can’t buy our way out of the climate crisis.
UCLA presents The Plastic Bag Store
UCLA’s Center for the Art of Performance presents The Plastic Bag Store exhibition and film by Robin Frohardt from June 30 to July 11, 2021. Reservations are required and you can make them here. Tickets are free, however, there is a suggested donation of $10 per person. Finally, you can’t miss their mind-opening film. You can get your tickets here.
Robin Frohardt is a Brooklyn-based New York artist, director, puppet designer, and playwright. The Plastic Bag Store has received outstanding awards such as the Jim Henson Foundation Award and the Creative Capital Award.
“There is a great humor to be found in the pitfalls of capitalism, and I find that humor and satire can be powerful tools for social criticism especially with issues that feel too sad and overwhelming to confront directly.” – Artist Robin Frohardt
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