The Artistic Duo Elmgreen & Dragset at the Fondazione Prada

In the post-industrial era, our physical presence seems to have lost its centrality to the point of being superfluous. Useless Bodies? Could be. To discuss this, a reflection offered by one of the most expansive thematic studies ever created by the Fondazione Prada, an exhibition conceived for four exhibition spaces and the courtyard of its Milanese home. Interpersonal relations, work conditions and the way in which we register information are going through changes. The project of the artistic duo Elmgreen & Dragset, based in Berlin, explains in which way, accompanying us through desolated spas, inhospitable dwellings, abandoned dressing rooms and unusable everyday objects, inviting visitors to rethink the ordinary. Ceasing to be active subjects of our existence, the bodies of Elmgreen & Dragset, traverse many aspects of their sculptural and performative practices, intertwining with important themes, such as intimacy, growth and the multiple ways to live in the public dimension. Following an itinerary which, from the two floors of the Podium, develops through the North gallery and in the Cistern, the visitors are enwrapped in a series of immersive installations, offering a plurality of universes, themes and atmospheres. Classical and neo-classical sculptures dialogue with the works of Elmgreen & Dragset, composing a universe in which superimpositions of epochs and styles emphasise similarities and differences. The futuristic vision of a domestic environment - an uninhabitable dwelling, disturbing fusion of a spaceship, a bunker, a laboratory - invites us to evaluate life within our homes. A bit detective, a bit unexpected guest, the public explores the space, free to imagine stories and gather evidence in an alienating atmosphere where the only living presence is a moving robotic dog.