Pradasphere II: 110 Years of Prada Celebrated in Shanghai

Pradasphere II, a major exhibition celebrating 110 years of Prada, opened on December 6, 2023, at the Start Museum in Shanghai's West Bund district. The museum, renovated by Jean Nouvel in December 2022, occupies the historic Nanpu railway station (1907) in the Xuhui district. The exhibition was inaugurated by Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons. First held in London in 2014, Pradasphere II now features over 400 physical and digital artifacts, including 200 outfits, displayed chronologically in a metal corridor with Prada's signature green and pink silk velvet. The show includes themed rooms: "Cinema" highlights collaborations with directors Ridley Scott, Wes Anderson, David O. Russell, and Yang Fudong; "Architecture" presents projects with Rem Koolhaas/OMA and Jacques Herzog/Herzog & de Meuron; "Re-nylon" explores sustainable materials; "Fondazione Prada" reviews 30 exhibitions in Milan, Venice, and Shanghai; and "Galleria" unveils new works by Damien Hirst, including a formaldehyde box containing a Prada Galleria bag and two sets of lockers with 31 colorful bags and their 3D-scanned chrome duplicates. The opening party at the Hengshan cinema, built in 1952, drew guests from film, culture, fashion, architecture, and finance, including artists Cao Fei, Lin Tianmiao, Song Dong, Wang Gongxin, Yang Fudong, and Yin Xiuzhen. The exhibition runs through January 21, 2024.