157 raw clay sculptures by fischli/weiss land at fondazione prada

Suddenly This Overview (1981-2012) at fondazione prada

Works of the artist duo Fischli/Weiss land at Fondazione Prada as a public installationtitled Suddenly This Overview (1981-2012). Displayed on the fifth floor of the tower as part of the permanent Atlas exhibition, the project unites 157 medium and small-sized raw clay sculptures displayed on bases of varying heights, representing the world through an arbitrary selection of events, objects, phrases, and historical or invented notions. Through juxtapositions and comparisons among works by international artists created between 1960 and 2016, ‘Atlas’ unfolds as a potential mapping of ideas and visions that have contributed to developing the Foundation’s activities from 1993 onward. It was, ultimately, conceived to evolve one floor at a time as part of an ongoing process ready to incorporate new stimuli and interpretations

all images © Roberto Marossi

Fischli/Weiss’ clay sculptures interpret the mundane of life

Launched at Fondazione Prada (see more here) on November 29, 2023, Suddenly This Overview (1981-2012) spotlights how Peter Fischli (1952) and David Weiss (1946-2012) unconventionally interpret elements of everyday life considered banal. Whether in sculptures, films, or photographs, since 1979, the artists have worked as a duo on projects that intentionally and playfully distance themselves from established hierarchies between high and low in art and the use of materials. Fischli/Weiss’ preference for the collection and phenomenological presentation of world wonders form the basis of this latest installation.

Suddenly This Overview (1981-2012) at Fondazione Prada

In other words, the sculptural display reveals itself as a subjective encyclopedia where the imperfections of individual memory and personal choices undermine the seemingly rational act of gathering all knowledge into a single work. After presenting this installation for the first time in Zurich in 1981, Fischli/Weiss continued adding sculptures, recreating previous works from memory, and inventing new scenes, many of which ironically reference their artistic production over the years.

157 medium and small-sized raw clay sculptures displayed on bases of varying heights