I am a Miami native, with a personal connection to the downtown Burdines department

store. My connection with the structure began before I was born. My mother worked at

the iconic flagship store for many years when she was a teenager. I shopped there as a

baby, toddler, and young girl with my mom and grandmother.

The malls of the past demonstrate the impermanence of life and the constant change

we endure as individuals and as a society as we strive to create a better world. My

installation draws parallels between the challenges we face as our “disposable”

society continues to contribute to climate change and the importance of transforming

malls and other historically significant landmarks of the past into vibrant, creative

spaces. Repurposing underutilized spaces to benefit the community is just like

repurposing plastics and other unsustainable materials to create art. Reusing

historically significant buildings to build creative spaces and using “disposable”

materials to create art will show how we can use creativity to bring important and

culturally significant art exhibits to our communities without causing undue additional

adverse impacts on the environment.

Plastic bags were created for convenience. Unfortunately, nobody thought about how

polluted our Earth would become… Thank goodness future generations are being

educated about the adverse environmental impacts of using “plastic bags” to get things

from here to there... My work serves as a visual and tactile guide to how we can

thoughtfully repurpose single use plastics and work toward making better choices for

our planet.

I want to connect my past to the present by fusing the knowledge of repurposing single

use plastics to decrease its effects on our ocean surrounded city. Standing beneath my

fused plastic bag clouds will create an ethereal feeling of floating through the air as

guests walk through the “clouds” to enjoy an impactful esthetic experience.

ALISSA ALFONSO