Lauren Porter

Paying It Forward

Repairing and restoring MCA Room 364 over a three-day period. Before and After.

“When in room 364 for a critique, it was noted that the state of the room was a mess. Wear to the walls and floor had accumulated to the level of distraction. I thought about how one’s experience with a piece of art is influenced by the site and space it is viewed. Over the weekend, I meticulously filled in the holes, removed the tape, staples, and nails, painted the walls and ceiling, and scraped, swept, and mopped the floor. For two days after, I refrained from being in control and entered the room to allow uncontrolled interactions to happen within the space. The reality of not being able to control a space did not hinder my idea of paying it forward to the next person to use the room. This refreshed environment gives others the opportunity to see their work and have it viewed in a clean gallery-level space.”