Prada Marfa: An Oxymoron in the Western Desert
Let’s face it - we all wish Lily Van der Woodsen was our own personal interior designer. The artistic vision, specifically the wall art, of this Upper East Side apartment hints at the elegance and high-society lifestyle the Van der Woodsen’s were intended to encapsulate. Richard Phillips’ “Spectrum” is evidently the show’s most recognizable piece and is very aesthetically pleasing, but what really caught my eye was the Prada Marfa Canvas. When I wasn’t too fixated on Nate Archibald’s dreamy eyes or Serena Van der Woodsen’s style-setting outfits, I couldn’t help but wonder - what on earth is Marfa?!
Google brought me to the Prada Marfa store, located in the West Texas desert near Valentine, Texas. A Prada store in the midst of an uninhabited desert was somewhat of a culture shock, but I soon realized that this Prada “store” was in fact a 2005 art installation by artist duo Michael Elmgreen and Ingar Dragset. Tourists may gape at the array of designer shoes and purses handpicked by Miuccia Prada herself, but Prada Marfa will never be open for business. This installation cost $80,000 to construct and was built with biodegradable materials with the intent of never being repaired and to slowly disintegrate into the desert dust. Withstanding some vandalism over the years, Prada Marfa has been relatively untouched and showcases the original Prada pieces from 2005.
Beyond the Insta posts featuring the legendary Prada Marfa store, Elmgreen and Dragset’s purpose for this unconventional storefront hits at the core of consumerism. Like all art, there is no single interpretation to understand this installation, but its juxtaposition against the desert landscape hints at the comedic element of the materialism of luxury. Just as conspicuous consumption is unlasting, the biodegradable build of the storefront will also crumble away. I took another approach where the inaccessibility of the Prada store and its specific location symbolize the barriers to the world of indulgence. With its exceptions, Valentine, with a population of 132, has a median household income of $45,670. The inaccessibility of the Prada goods within the installation represents the majority of the world’s, like that of Valentine’s, position in regard to splurging on Prada and other high-end luxuries. This installation is a call to action to recognize that at the end of the day, delighting in extravagances is far from the norm, and ultimately, these indulgences will amount to nothing - just like the future of the Prada Marfa store.
Yet did Elmgreen and Dragset truly convey their anti-capitalist agenda? This art installation happens to be overflowing with irony. While myself along with many others interpreted this installation with the intended social commentary, many onlookers see Prada Marfa as a tourist attraction that continues to fuel the cycle of consumerism. As they stop the car for a quick photo op, these tourists post their edited pictures onto Instagram, a prosumer capitalist platform. Prada Marfa screams trendy where the logo is copied and pasted onto tees and art pieces - like that found in Gossip Girl - which sustains the fashion industry. I personally believe that snapping some pictures or purchasing a Prada Marfa shirt is not some incriminating act, but doing so blindly only reinforces the neglected message of this faux-boutique.
If you ever find yourself in Marfa, Texas, stop by Prada Marfa… and not just for the picture.