Healing Spaces: Marina Fini

“I don’t ever feel like my work is just me,” says Marina Fini while sitting on a cloud bed between two candy colored iMacs, “The intention is always like: this is a fun slumber party! or just a comfortable space where you feel out of body . . .  I believe color holds so much power that we don’t even realize. Rainbows and spectrums live in us and outside of us everywhere in nature.”

For Marina, it all starts with creating community, whether through her colorful, healing-inspired installations or the music videos that she directs and shoots at her Joshua Tree home, Rainbow Bath House. Throughout her life, she has found that she can express herself best when creating spaces that are accessible for everyone.

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“I grew up as an only child, to a mom who was 40 when she had me, and spent a lot of time by myself and always wanting to have siblings and community around me,” says Marina “and I finally have that. I just want to share space that inspires people to feel safe and to be themselves.”

". . . I just want to share space that inspires people to feel safe and to be themselves.”

For Meow Wolf’s first ever Pride event, we invited Marina to create a temporary installation in the Maker’s Space, a secluded area located on the other side of the House of Eternal Return, tucked away, where performers are often seen gathering their thoughts and retaining character.

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The installation went above and beyond her perfect plexi cut neon pink flowers, aliens and various symbols one would find in their teenage Y2K fantasy bedroom. The loud and colorful qualities of the space carried a soothing atmosphere that complimented the entire experience.

This is because her work has recently been inspired by “Snoezalen,” a therapeutic concept from the ‘70s for people with developmental disabilities. It consists of creating soothing and stimulating environments controlled by interchanging, colorful lights and interactive details. In this case, the click of an old turquoise iMac mouse, the glittery ridges of an interactive butterfly, and cloud beds that one can sleep on immerses the participant in a soothing and safe space.

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“A lot of us in this world have a lot of pain and trauma and things that we suppress. I hope to work towards having art be all about healing for the greater good, not just about it being this exclusive thing in museums.”

“The spaces I create are infused with Reiki energy, it’s really not just about aesthetics, or photos or instagram. I never want my art to be just about that, ever.”

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Marina’s work goes beyond aesthetics, while incorporating deeper healing methods into her work, she says, “The spaces I create are infused with reiki energy, it’s really not just about aesthetics, or photos or instagram. I never want my art to be just about that, ever.”

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One of Marina’s past temporary pieces was an installation called GODDESSPHERE, an experiential, re-appropriated “strip club” that featured femme and queer performers during Miami Art Basel in 2016. “I had an assistant who was a stripper, and I felt really compelled to create a piece that was empowering people who do sex work.”

The installation, erected shortly after Trump’s election, was meant to question and poke fun of the average “gentleman’s club.” Fini explains, “It became this cabaret-esque queer feminist vision of what a strip club would be like if it was run by a woman or a queer person, and how that it wouldn’t be just about women’s bodies on a stage.”

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While the spirit of GODDESSPHERE lives on forever, Marina says that Rainbow Bath House not only has become a space for artists and creatives to come together, it has also become a permanent space for all of her past installation concepts.  

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“Rainbow Bath House has actually become a mini GODDESSPHERE."

"After doing a lot of shows, traveling, and being so exhausted from putting so much effort into something and having to take it down so quickly, I wanted to find a place where I could really live, work and also offer space that’s safe for people to express themselves and collaborate in.”

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Rainbow Bath House is also available for booking visits, photoshoots, and even overnight stays, just DM the Rainbow Bath House Instagram with inquiries!

Building space for healing and community has arisen as Fini’s mission and it’s expanding from installations, to a house–what’s next? Her sights are set on channeling her healing practices through functional spaces like a restaurant or spa immersed in her aesthetic and energy.

Follow Marina on Instagram