4 MIL | Jessie Laino
4 MIL, Jessie Laino (Miami, FL)
Miami Goes Elsewhere. June 2016. Installation: 4 mil contractors plastic from Elsewhere’s 2016 restoration, staples.
4 MIL encapsulates the Ribbon Room* installation exactly as the artist discovered the piece; Laino sealed the floor, walls, ceiling, and any items in the space with clear plastic sheeting collected from the near-end of Elsewhere’s historic building restoration. In addition to using and not discarding the found material, she communicated with exiting contracted workers about their experience transforming the building and assisted in returning the museum to function.
4 MIL invites viewers to experience and reflect on the impactful nature and necessity of change by walking on the room’s contents. The plastic tarp functions as a protective shield that collects visible dust, barricades future change, and preserves behind its armor. The frosted tone of the dressing muffles visual noise to create a semi-transparent time capsule that encourages deeper investigation in understanding and appreciating the materials under the surface.
*see also: Untitled (Ribbon Room Immersion), Reribbon Room, Beneath Milhauser’s Floor, Repository
Above: Visitors relax within the installation for the Opening Exhbition.
Above: Detail documentation of the final installation.
Process:
Above: Laino sources plastic sheeting from the restoration for the Ribbon Room.
