Pamela Rosenkranz's 'Infection' at Fondazione Prada, Milan

Swiss artist Pamela Rosenkranz (b. 1979) presents 'Infection' at Fondazione Prada in Milan as part of the Slight Agitation series by the Thought Council. The installation features a large pyramid of sand illuminated by green RGB light, saturating the space and evoking a quasi-religious atmosphere within a former distillery's alcohol fermentation tank storage. The work is infused with lab-synthesized feline pheromones, creating an olfactory experience that can be either attractive or repulsive. This reaction is tied to toxoplasmosis, a parasite affecting 30% of the global population that neurologically alters behavior, making infected individuals more drawn to cats and, according to the artist's research, more prone to buying branded products. The scent is also used in cosmetics, notably Chanel No. 5. Thought Council's Shumon Basar notes that even non-infected people may find the feline scent appealing due to personal associations, such as a mother's perfume. The installation explores how globalized capitalism exploits biological and subconscious responses to create dependency on consumer products.