MILAN.- Fondazione Prada presented today the exhibition “Who the Bær” by Simon Fujiwara, open to the public until 27 September 2021 in Milan.

“Who the Bær”, focused on a fictional bear in search for identity, investigates the simultaneous quest for fantasy and authenticity in the culture we consume.

Within his exhibition, Fujiwara introduces the public to a coming-of-age story made of several cheerful and traumatic events. From focus groups to therapy sessions, from plastic surgery to global travels, from sexual fantasies to dystopian dreams, the artist portrays the formative process of a fictitious character as they interpret and appropriate the “real world” of images, distorting everything they see into the absurd logic of their personal universe.

Who the Bær’s adventures are presented at Fondazione Prada in a giant labyrinth made almost entirely from cardboard and recyclable materials and forming the shape of a giant bear. As visitors travel through the bear-like installation, they are introduced to the basic design and formation of the cartoon character of Who the Bær. Told through drawings, collages, sculptures and animations, we witness Who the Bær in their perennial quest for an authentic self. Inspired by the traditional tales as well as modern animation movies, Fujiwara uses the mechanisms of fantasy to explore some of the joys and traumas we face as a society possessed with images and spectacle.

The project is conceived to furtherly develop into a digital platform aimed at sharing and exploring, through the Instagram account @whothebaer, animated by Fujiwara, and a web app conceived by the artist. The initiative is part of a process undertaken by Fondazione Prada and aimed at continuously develop its digital presence and experiment with a multitude of times and means of audience engagement.

The Milan headquarters host “Who the Bær”, by Simon Fujiwara, and “Atlas”, the permanent exhibition which features a selection of works from Collezione Prada, displayed in the five floors of Torre. The exhibition spaces are open to the public from Thursday to Sunday, from 10 am to 7 pm. In compliance with the rules on containment and management of the epidemiological emergency, admission is limited and requires the purchase of a ticket online until 12 am of the day before the visit.