{"id":13743,"date":"2017-01-05T14:02:50","date_gmt":"2017-01-05T13:02:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.conceptualfinearts.com\/cfa\/?p=13743"},"modified":"2019-03-01T15:43:49","modified_gmt":"2019-03-01T14:43:49","slug":"the-great-call-20-months-and-18-projects-after-in-milan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conceptualfinearts.com\/cfa\/2017\/01\/05\/the-great-call-20-months-and-18-projects-after-in-milan\/","title":{"rendered":"Fondazione Prada: the great call, 20 months and 18 projects after"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t\t<style type=\"text\/css\">\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 {\n\t\t\t\tmargin: auto;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 .gallery-item {\n\t\t\t\tfloat: left;\n\t\t\t\tmargin-top: 10px;\n\t\t\t\ttext-align: center;\n\t\t\t\twidth: 33%;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 img {\n\t\t\t\tborder: 2px solid #cfcfcf;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 .gallery-caption {\n\t\t\t\tmargin-left: 0;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes\/media.php *\/\n\t\t<\/style>\n\t\t<div id='gallery-1' class='gallery galleryid-13743 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-thumbnail'><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.conceptualfinearts.com\/cfa\/2017\/01\/05\/the-great-call-20-months-and-18-projects-after-in-milan\/fondazione-prada_bas-princen-12\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"120\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conceptualfinearts.com\/cfa\/CFA-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Fondazione-Prada_Bas-Princen-12-480x384.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-13750\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-13750'>\n\t\t\t\tNew Milan venue of Fondazione Prada, Architectural project by OMA. Photo: Bas Princen, 2015. Courtesy Fondazione Prada.\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.conceptualfinearts.com\/cfa\/2017\/01\/05\/the-great-call-20-months-and-18-projects-after-in-milan\/serial-classic-2-2\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"100\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conceptualfinearts.com\/cfa\/CFA-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Serial-Classic-2-1-320x480.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-13752\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-13752'>\n\t\t\t\tCrouching Venus, Mid-2nd century A.D., Marble (Vatican City, Musei Vaticani, Museo Pio-Clementino), Fondazione Prada Milano, 2015. Photo Attilio Maranzano, Courtesy Fondazione Prada.\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.conceptualfinearts.com\/cfa\/2017\/01\/05\/the-great-call-20-months-and-18-projects-after-in-milan\/an-introduction-9\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"110\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conceptualfinearts.com\/cfa\/CFA-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/An-Introduction-9-480x352.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-13748\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-13748'>\n\t\t\t\tTop: Francesco Vezzoli, Madonna del Bauhaus, 2012. Back: Studiolo  Northern Italy, circa 1480. Exhibition view of \u2018An Introduction\u2019 Fondazione Prada Milano, 2015. Photo Attilio Maranzano, Courtesy Fondazione Prada.\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.conceptualfinearts.com\/cfa\/2017\/01\/05\/the-great-call-20-months-and-18-projects-after-in-milan\/an-introduction-2\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conceptualfinearts.com\/cfa\/CFA-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/An-Introduction-2-480x480.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-13747\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-13747'>\n\t\t\t\tBarnett Newmann, Onement VI, 1953. hibition view of \u2018An Introduction\u2019 Fondazione Prada Milano, 2015. Photo Attilio Maranzano, Courtesy Fondazione Prada. \n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.conceptualfinearts.com\/cfa\/2017\/01\/05\/the-great-call-20-months-and-18-projects-after-in-milan\/3-atlante-del-gesto_rituale\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"100\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conceptualfinearts.com\/cfa\/CFA-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/3.-Atlante-del-gesto_Rituale-480x320.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-13745\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-13745'>\n\t\t\t\tAtlante del gesto, Rituale (choreographic cycles), Fondazione Prada &#8211; Milan, 2015 Photo: Ela Bialkowska, OKNOstudio, Courtesy Fondazione Prada. \n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.conceptualfinearts.com\/cfa\/2017\/01\/05\/the-great-call-20-months-and-18-projects-after-in-milan\/trittico-1\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"117\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conceptualfinearts.com\/cfa\/CFA-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Trittico-1-374x480.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-13753\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-13753'>\n\t\t\t\tDamien Hirst, Lost Love, 2000. Installation view of \u2018Trittico\u2019 curated by the Thought Council (Shumon Basar, Elvira Dyangani Ose, C\u00e9dric Libert, Dieter Roelstraete), Fondazione Prada Milano, 2015. Photo Attilio Maranzano, Courtesy Fondazione Prada.\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.conceptualfinearts.com\/cfa\/2017\/01\/05\/the-great-call-20-months-and-18-projects-after-in-milan\/fondazione-prada-osservatorio-5\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"101\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conceptualfinearts.com\/cfa\/CFA-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Fondazione-Prada-Osservatorio-5-480x323.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-13749\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-13749'>\n\t\t\t\tFondazione Prada Osservatorio, Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Milan, 2016. Photo Delfino Sisto Legnani and Marco Cappelletti, Courtesy Fondazione Prada. \n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl>\n\t\t\t<br style='clear: both' \/>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p>A couple of days before Christmas Cfa sat down with <strong>Astrid Welter<\/strong>, head of programs at <strong>Fondazione Prada<\/strong>, to take stock 20 months after the opening in Milan of their main new venue, and just a few days after the opening of <strong>Osservatorio<\/strong>, an additional space focused on photography that is located at the top floor of the most prestigious spot in town, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. \u201cTo begin with, we are extremely happy about how the public is responding to our efforts\u201d says in fluent Italian Ms. Welter, who took her M.A. in Milan and has been contributing to the artistic program of the Fondazione since 1997. And they have indeed reason to be so, since during the relatively short window of time that goes from May 2015 to December 2016 the \u201cre-configured\u201d Fondazione produced as much as 18 cultural projects, including two film festivals and two dance performances. Is it too much? \u201cWe felt the need to show to the audience, and perhaps also to ourselves, what we can do\u201d explains Ms. Welter adding that 4 more new exhibitions are already in the pipe, including an experimental short film based on virtual reality by&nbsp;<strong>Alejandro I\u00f1\u00e1rritu<\/strong> and a comprehensive exhibition dedicated to Italian television curated by artist <strong>Francesco Vezzoli<\/strong>. Moreover, she confirms that the multi-floors tower currently under construction to host the extraordinary permanent collection gathered together by Miuccia Prada and Patrizio Bertelli during their life&nbsp;will also be completed and partially opened to the public later this year.<\/p>\n<p>Before enquiring about some other numbers we take a little walk down memory lane recalling when, in December 2015, we visited the area still <a href=\"http:\/\/www.conceptualfinearts.com\/cfa\/?p=9292\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">under construction<\/a>. It was completely covered in snow, garrisoned by just a few cold workers. At the time it seemed unlikely they would have the buildings completed on time to match the Expo and the Venice Biennial. \u201cBut we had to make it\u201d exclaimed Ms Welter, suggesting us to watch the video documenting the last 30 days before the opening (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.fondazioneprada.org\/spiriti\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Spiriti, by Ila B\u00eaka e Louise Lemoine<\/a>). \u201cAt some point there were no less than 300 workers on the site, seven days a week and 16 hours per day \u2013 on two shifts\u201d. Not to mention that the Fondazione Prada staff had a second, no less demanding venue in Venice to take care of. History will consider it was half of a miracle, made possible by a unique commitment to culture \u2013 from the<a href=\"http:\/\/www.fondazioneprada.org\/mission-en\/?lang=en\"> Fondazione Prada&#8217;s mission<\/a>: \u201cWe embrace the idea that culture is deeply useful and necessary as well as attractive and engaging. Culture should help us with our everyday lives, and understand how we, and the world, are changing\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Now it&#8217;s 11 am, Ms. Welter receives a call on her phone. She begs our pardon, she has to interrupt our conversation: \u201cit&#8217;s Mrs. Prada calling, as it generally happens every morning at this time, and some other time during the day when needed\u201d. That would be a first hand evidence of Mrs. Prada&#8217;s commitment to her Fondazione and if you also have noticed that political oriented fil rouge connecting all the many different ingredients which make the fortune of this unique cultural constellation now you should know who is directly responsible for that. To give just one example, it is not for a case that the I\u00f1\u00e1rritu&#8217;s short-film is going to explore the dramatic experience of a group of people crossing the border between Mexico and United States, hence inquiring from a lateral perspective the problem of immigration that is dramatically affecting also the European countries.<\/p>\n<p>Ms. Welter is back in less than 10 minutes. We ask about numbers and her answer is consistent with the frame we tried to describe above. \u201cWe are proud to say that during the Expo we had days with more than 5000 visitors, and now during the weekend we are having about 2000 visitors. But it should be added that if we had been interested in numbers we would have opened the Fondazione in cities such as Paris, London or New York\u201d. That is to say capitals with a population twice or three times bigger than Milan. Or, to put it in another way, they chose to give back to Milan a significant part of the energies the city has given them. God save the Fondazione.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A couple of days before Christmas Cfa sat down with Astrid Welter, head of programs at Fondazione Prada, to take stock 20 months after the opening in Milan of their [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":13755,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1796],"tags":[2136,578],"class_list":["post-13743","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mapping-the-artscape","tag-astrid-welter","tag-fondazione-prada"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conceptualfinearts.com\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13743","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conceptualfinearts.com\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conceptualfinearts.com\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conceptualfinearts.com\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conceptualfinearts.com\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13743"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conceptualfinearts.com\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13743\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conceptualfinearts.com\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13755"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conceptualfinearts.com\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13743"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conceptualfinearts.com\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13743"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conceptualfinearts.com\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13743"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}