Artist's Ikea Dress Made from 555 Blue Plastic Bags. It's a Little Big
Ida-Marie Corell spent $330 for a dress she bought at Ikea. And like anything else from the Swedish home decorating chain, she put it together from scratch.
The British-born artist stitched together 555 blue Ikea bags, the 59 cent ones that hold all your Gosa Plats and Sprittas, while your lost in a maze of model living rooms.
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For Ida-Marie, one wasn't nearly enough for the gown she constructed wear in a Zurich Gallery, for the opening a group show. Using the neon yellow handles as straps for her shoulders she let the rest of the voluminous patchwork of plastic wrap around the room.
Corell's "ID(E)A dress" is part of Oh, Plastiksack!, a group exhibition running through October, about the world's most stigmatized accessory: the plastic bag. The Swiss exhibit features everything from superheros toys preserved in clear plastic freezer bags to suits and furniture made from repurposed to-go bags. But it's Corell's fashion innovation that's attracting all the attention.
"The identity of plastic is multi-faceted," according to Corell who played keyboards for the live exhibition, and donned an Ikea-blue mask over her eyes, as she wrapped the gallery in her dress. She sees the common plastic bag as "a simple piece of trash, an ecological hazard, a symbol of consumerism, and a history-defining invention."
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Some might say the same of Ikea, the Swedish furniture chain that changed how we decorate our homes, and attracted a cult following of designers, hackers, haters and devotees. It's unclear to which category Corell belongs. Her bag design doesn't actually translate to flattering couture, and in at least one photo it looks to be devouring her. But nothing is sturdier than Ikea plastic bags when it comes to holding people's attention.
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