Dara Birnbaum's Media Critique at Fondazione Prada's Osservatorio

Fondazione Prada's Osservatorio in Milan presents a retrospective of Dara Birnbaum (born 1946, New York), a video artist who has deconstructed mass media narratives since the 1970s. The exhibition, with a sparse and rigorous installation, traces her evolution from analog video to digital remastering, exploring themes of gender bias in pop culture, media treatment of women, and capitalist control of information flows, including coverage of the Iraq and Vietnam wars. Key works include 'Technology/Transformation: Wonder Woman' (1978-79), which critiques the TV series and supports the feminist group Guerrilla Girls, and 'Journey: Shadow of the American Dreams' (2022), a six-channel video reflecting on post-WWII American suburban culture and the influence of television on memory. Also featured are 'Quiet Disaster' (1999), three plexiglass discs with anime-style terrified faces, and early works like 'Six Movements: Chaired Anxieties: Abandoned' (1975), inspired by Vito Acconci. The exhibition runs at Osservatorio Fondazione Prada, Milan.