The Wall of Mall

The Wall of Mall is a wall approximately 8' high and 20' wide, covered on both sides with shopping bags from each of the retail stores at the Mall of America. The bags are arranged in rows overlapping each other like shingles. The scale of the piece underscores the impossibility of attaining satisfaction through this kind of consumption, and yet at the same time highlights how shopping is impossible to escape. The piece invites viewers to come closer and identify the individual stores through their logos and designs, and relate to the act of shopping through the memory of their own past retail experiences. The Wall represents both an engagement with the act of shopping, but also a dread of it, overwhelming the viewer with the immensity of stores and products available to them. It means to shed light on this favorite American pastime, and to look critically at the ways in which shopping dominates our mental and physical landscapes.

7'6" x 21' x 2', 2006