Sign in
Installation Art

The Plastic Bag Store (Capsule Review)

Laura Hess

• 2 min read
The Plastic Bag Store (Capsule Review)
A typical supermarket vista — or is it? Wood crating holds ordinary produce: bananas, berries, apples, and tomatoes. Signage above includes pricing and declaratives such as “Fresh!” But the signs also include text like “baglet pears” and “bluebaggies.” Upon closer inspection, the produce is entirely composed of colorful, single-use plastic bags.
Photo: Laura Hess

[Original publication: No Proscenium, 7/7/21]

Get Laura Hess’s stories in your inbox

Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer.

SubscribeSubscribe

I cannot recall another time I belly laughed about plastic. Plastic itself isn’t a joke — far from it — but artist Robin Frohardt takes this ubiquitous forever-material and transforms it into a brilliant experience for all ages: The Plastic Bag Store. The supermarket-themed, immersive installation does a deep dive into single-use, disposable plastics by recasting everyday items (mostly food products), into a world of advocacy and entertainment.

There are two ticketing options: the core installation and the immersive film experience. The latter is the heart of the production, which includes films, live performance, and a wonderful secret reveal. Commissioned by Times Square Arts, The Plastic Bag Store opened last year in Manhattan and has since traveled to the Adelaide Festival in South Australia. The LA exhibit is produced with support from CAP UCLA and includes special programming, an environmental toolkit, and activist opportunities.

Fans of Lucy Sparrow’s all-felt Sparrow Mart and newer fans of Meow Wolf’s otherworldly Omega Mart may sense a trend, but The Plastic Bag Store is unique and powerful in its own right. The detailed, multimedia production deftly layers narratives about our environmental crisis without ever feeling like a lecture or an admonishment. In many arenas, advocacy can feel labored and overwhelming. Serious challenges require an evocative approach and The Plastic Bag Store infuses its messaging with humor and artistry.

The issue with plastics is indeed harrowing. Frohardt and the production’s incredible collaborating artists don’t minimize that. Instead, they’ve created a resonant experience, one that fosters a new, emotional relationship with our plastic problem. It’s advocacy that stays with you: a memory you want to revisit and a forever-material in all the best ways.