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A white book titled “So You Want to Be a Cop” by Scott Butler sits among police memorabilia. Surrounding the book are Los Angeles Police patches, a badge, a dollar sign and a red “Pocket Partner” handbook.

A design proposal that sets out a perfect plot to rob five banks in LA? Sure thing

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Date
30 May 2013

Ever wanted to rob a bank? Me too, but I don’t fancy prison so this “what if?” project will have to do. Ilona Gaynor has been quietly planning a highly organised heist of five major banks in the downtown Los Angeles area for the past two years, and is now reaching out for some funding to allow her to complete her mission.

With a 1,000 square foot abandoned Portuguese bank (yes) confirmed as the location for this exhibition, Ilona is planning to show people – with hard evidence taken from her training with real American cops – exactly how the heist would theoretically play out. Intrigued? I am, and you can read many, many more fascinating details about this ludicrous project over on her Kickstarter.

A rolling metal ladder stands in a room lined from floor to ceiling with silver safety deposit boxes. The boxes are arranged in tight grids with small gold locks.
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Ilona Gaynor: Under Black Carpets

A matte black box against a dark background. A small white logo at the bottom features a stylised landscape and the words “UNDER BLACK CARPETS”.
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Ilona Gaynor: Under Black Carpets

Four minimalist black and white posters are pinned to a white wall. They feature top-down silhouettes of a helicopter, a plane, a person in uniform, and a military vehicle.
Above

Ilona Gaynor: Under Black Carpets

A white book titled “So You Want to Be a Cop” by Scott Butler sits among various police-themed objects. Surrounding the book are Los Angeles Police patches, a badge, a dollar sign and a red pocket notebook.
Above

Ilona Gaynor: Under Black Carpets

Four maroon-coloured bullets are scattered across a white surface. To the right, two miniature figures lie flat on their backs.
Above

Ilona Gaynor: Under Black Carpets

A 3D render of several black, monolithic skyscrapers of varying heights against a white background. The tallest building features a logo that reads “usbank”.
Above

Ilona Gaynor: Under Black Carpets

A 3D render of a monochromatic city scene. Stylised black skyscrapers with white grid lines stand against a reflective surface marked with architectural blueprints.
Above

Ilona Gaynor: Under Black Carpets

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About the Author

Liv Siddall

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Liv joined It’s Nice That as an intern in 2011 and worked across online, print and events, and was latterly Features Editor before leaving in May 2015.

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