ART CITIES:Milan-Simon Fujiwara

Over the past decade, Simon Fujiwara has become known for his staging of large, complex exhibitions that explore the deeply rooted mechanisms of identity construction for both individuals and societies. Addressing the inherent contradictions of image and narrative making (from social media and self presentation to marketing and history formation) Fujiwara revels in the complexity and paradox of our simultaneous quest for fantasy and authenticity.

By Efi Michalarou
Photo: Fondazione Prada Archive

Crossing multiple media, from sculpture and installation to video and painting and mining worlds as diverse as advertising and archaeology, Simon Fujiwara’s works are a constant reportage on the real world sources from which they draw inspiration. However, rather than simply presenting commentary, the artist creates a unique universe of his own – one that is populated with challenging and often absurd new narratives that are as intellectually rigorous as they are emotionally stimulating. For “Who the Bær”, his new site-specific project conceived for the ground floor of the Podium in the Milan premises of Fondazione Prada, Simon Fujiwara introduces audiences to the fairytale world of “Who the Bær”, an original cartoon character that inhabits a fantasy universe created by the artist. “Who the Bær” is a cartoon bear without a clear character – “Who” as they are known, seems to have not yet developed a strong personality or instincts, they have no history, defined gender or even sexuality. Who the Bær only knows that they are an image, and they seek to define themselves in a world of other images. The world of Who the Bær is a flat, online world of pictures, yet one full of endless possibilities. The character can transform or adapt into any image they encounter, taking on the attributes and identities of those depicted within the image – human, animal or even object. In this sense the fantastical world of Who the Bær is a world of freedom: Who can be whoever they wish to be, the character can transcend time and place, Who can be both subject and object. Yet it may never be able to overcome their one true challenge  to become anything more than just an image. Within his exhibition, Fujiwara introduces the public to a coming-of-age story and post-modern fairytale, 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 fantasy 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” before embarking on a series of adventures that follow “Who the Bær” around their fairytale world. Told through drawings, collages, sculptures and animations, we witness Who the Bær in their perennial quest for an authentic self.

Photo: Simon Fujiwara Who the Bær, 2020, © Simon Fujiwara, Courtesy the artist, Dvir Gallery-Tel Aviv/ Brussels, GioMARCONI-Milan Taro Nasu-Tokyo, Esther Schipper-Berlin

Info: Fondazione Prada, Largo Isarco 2, Milan, Duration: 2/3-27/9/2021, www.fondazioneprada.org