prada foundation biennale 2017 | Exploring Fondazione Prada

NOVEMBER 2017 Venice, 10 May 2017 – The 2017 iteration of the Prada Foundation’s exhibition at Ca’ Corner della Regina, titled “The Boat is Leaking. The Captain Lied,” was a significant event within the broader context of the 57th Venice Biennale. Running from May 13th to November 26th, 2017, this ambitious project, curated by Udo Kittelmann, brought together the distinct artistic visions of Thomas Demand and Alexander Kluge, creating a compelling and often unsettling experience for visitors. The exhibition, housed within the historic palazzo on the Grand Canal, served as a powerful commentary on contemporary society, exploring themes of deception, uncertainty, and the fragile state of the world.

The location itself, Ca’ Corner della Regina, lends a particular gravitas to the exhibition. This magnificent Venetian palazzo, meticulously restored by OMA (Office for Metropolitan Architecture), provides a stunning backdrop, its ornate architectural details juxtaposed with the often stark and conceptual artworks on display. The building’s history, its previous lives as a noble residence and later as a historical archive of Venetian art, adds layers of meaning to the exhibition, creating a dialogue between the past and the present. The careful balance between preserving the historical integrity of the building and showcasing contemporary art is a hallmark of Fondazione Prada’s approach, and it was expertly executed in the 2017 exhibition.

Fondazione Prada: A Platform for Critical Engagement

Fondazione Prada, established in 1993 by Miuccia Prada and Patrizio Bertelli, has become a vital force in the contemporary art world. Its commitment to supporting and promoting innovative and challenging art projects is evident in its diverse programming, which includes exhibitions, film screenings, performances, and research initiatives. The foundation operates from two main locations: Milan and Venice, each offering distinct programming and contributing to the foundation's overall mission. The Venice location, Ca' Corner della Regina, provides a particularly compelling setting for its exhibitions, drawing on the city's rich artistic heritage and its role as a global center for contemporary art during the Biennale.

The foundation's approach is characterized by a willingness to take risks and to engage with complex and often uncomfortable issues. It doesn't shy away from challenging conventional art world norms and seeks to foster critical dialogue and intellectual exchange. This commitment to critical engagement is what sets Fondazione Prada apart and makes its exhibitions consistently thought-provoking. “The Boat is Leaking. The Captain Lied.” exemplifies this approach, presenting a multifaceted exploration of the anxieties and uncertainties of the modern world.

Thomas Demand and Alexander Kluge: A Collaborative Vision

The collaboration between Thomas Demand, a renowned German artist known for his meticulously crafted photographic recreations of real-world scenes, and Alexander Kluge, a celebrated German filmmaker, writer, and intellectual, was a central element of the 2017 exhibition. While their artistic practices differ significantly, they share a common interest in exploring the relationship between image, reality, and narrative.

Thomas Demand’s work often involves painstakingly reconstructing scenes from media images using paper and cardboard. These meticulously constructed models are then photographed, creating images that are both familiar and unsettlingly artificial. The resulting photographs invite viewers to question the authenticity of the images they consume and to consider the ways in which media shapes our understanding of the world. In “The Boat is Leaking. The Captain Lied,” Demand presented a selection of his signature photographic works, each carefully chosen to resonate with the exhibition's overarching themes. His contributions underscored the fragility of truth and the constructed nature of reality.

Alexander Kluge, on the other hand, brought his vast body of film and television work to the exhibition. His films, often characterized by their fragmented narratives, montage techniques, and intellectual rigor, explore a wide range of social and political issues. Kluge's contributions to the exhibition included film installations, video essays, and textual interventions, creating a rich and layered experience for visitors. His work often delves into the complexities of human relationships, the power of institutions, and the challenges of navigating a rapidly changing world. Kluge's approach, deeply rooted in critical theory, encouraged visitors to actively engage with the exhibition's themes and to question their own assumptions about the world.

The synergy between Demand's photographic reconstructions and Kluge's cinematic interventions created a dynamic and thought-provoking exhibition. Their distinct artistic perspectives, combined with the curatorial vision of Udo Kittelmann, resulted in a cohesive and compelling exploration of the exhibition's central themes.

"The Boat is Leaking. The Captain Lied.": Deception, Uncertainty, and the Fragile State of the World

The title of the exhibition, “The Boat is Leaking. The Captain Lied,” is a potent metaphor for the perceived state of contemporary society. It suggests a sense of impending crisis, a loss of trust in authority, and a growing awareness that things are not as they seem. The exhibition explored these themes through a diverse range of artworks, installations, and interventions, inviting visitors to reflect on their own roles in a world characterized by uncertainty and deception.