Prada Marfa
Eat, Stay, Play
by Elizabeth Kurzweg
Scandinavian artists Michael Elmgreen and Ingar Dragset gave life to the iconic art installation Prada Marfa in 2005. Like most of their work, it explores the relationship between art, architecture, and design.
The duo met in Copenhagen in 1994 when Elmgreen was writing and performing poetry, and Dragset was studying theater. Since 1997, the artists have presented a large number of architectural and sculptural installations in an ongoing series of works entitled “Powerless Structures.” In the series, they’ve transformed the conventions of the “white cube” gallery space, creating galleries that are suspended from the ceiling, sunk into the ground, or turned upside down.
Their most famous piece, however, remains Prada Marfa. The faux store sits in the middle of the Chihuahua desert, 27 miles from Marfa, Texas. It is defined by its creators as a “pop architectural land art project.”
It was built following Prada’s boutique aesthetic codes and, despite not being commissioned by the brand, was allowed to use its name. The brand appreciated the idea so much they even donated pieces from their Prada Fall / Winter 2005 collection that complement the surrounding desert aesthetic.
“We hope that this will increase the interest in contemporary art and in the potential of art in general,” says Dragset.
