Leon Golub's Mercenaries as Wage Workers at Fondazione Prada

Fondazione Prada in Milan presents a research exhibition on American artist Leon Golub (1922–2004), curated by Germano Celant. The show features 22 acrylic paintings from the late 1960s to the 1980s, focusing on the 'Mercenaries' series and its references to the Vietnam War. Golub's crude, flat compositions depict mercenaries as ordinary wage laborers, challenging viewers' perceptions of violence and complicity. The exhibition also includes 58 photographs from the 1990s, printed on transparencies, showing scenes of victory and death that further explore the relationship between man, labor, and money. The works aim to provoke reflection on ideological, political, and moral questions about power dynamics and salaried work.