When Attitudes Become Form Reenacted at Fondazione Prada in Venice

Germano Celant, with architect Rem Koolhaas and artist Thomas Demand, recreated Harald Szeemann's 1969 exhibition "When Attitudes Become Form" at Ca' Corner della Regina in Venice, on view from June 1 to November 24, 2013. The reenactment, titled "When attitudes become form Bern 1969/Venice 2013," used period photographs to reconstruct the original layout and artwork arrangement, but adapted to the architectural constraints of the Venetian palace. Celant acknowledged the impossibility of absolute fidelity, embracing a simulacrum with deliberately awkward trompe-l'œil elements. The project highlights the shift from the amateur curator model of Szeemann—who discovered most artists during the process—to today's hyper-professionalized art world dominated by financial stakes. Insurance values of the 1969 works averaged $1,000 (about $6,500 today), contrasting sharply with current high-value art. The exhibition includes a documentary section revealing logistics and insurance figures. Meanwhile, at the Romanian Pavilion, Alexandra Pirici and Manuel Pelmus presented an immaterial retrospective of the Venice Biennale using choreographed scenes, requiring no production, expensive equipment, or shipping—only performers, cheap labor, and a flight. This juxtaposition underscores the political and migratory issues of Europe, contrasting with the lavish displays at Punta della Dogana and Ca' Corner della Regina.