Prada Marfa
Prada Marfa is a permanent artistic installation located in the middle of the Chihuahua desert in Texas. The sculpture is located on a barren stretch of Texas Highway 90, one mile west of Valentine, Texas and 35 miles northwest from Marfa, Texas.
The art was created by artists Elmgreen & Dragset. They often create sculptural art which, according to Wikipedia, “… explores the relationship between art, architecture, and design” and which “also addresses social and cultural concerns.” The artists themselves described Prada Marfa as a “pop architectural land art project.”
The original intent of the sculpture was to never make repairs and let it degrade into the land, so that “50 years from now it will be a ruin that is a reflection of the time it was made.” However, the idea was changed after the art installation was vandalized and the Prada contents stolen on the very first night the installation was completed. The installation was repaired and a local caretaker was established to care for the site.
The iconic structure was not commissioned by Prada. Prada consented to the use of its name and logo for the project, and Miuccia Prada even personally picked out and provided the purses and right-foot-only shoes from the Prada Fall / Winter 2005 collection that complement the desert tones of the surrounding environment.
We had talked about visiting Prada Marfa for years. Today was the day.
