Goppion and Prada’s portable classics

Starting May 9 and through the summer, the two Fondazione Prada locations – the “historic” one in Venice and the new one in Milan, which has just been inaugurated – will be perfectly united by two exhibitions of ancient art. The “Serial Classic” show in Milan and the “Portable Classic” show in Venice – curated by Salvatore Settis along with Anna Anguissola and Davide Gasparotto - are dedicated to serial reproduction in classic art. In the case of the second show, the focus is on small-scale reproduction of Greek and Roman statues from the Renaissance to the neo-classical period. Both of the locations bear the prestigious signature of Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas.

Housed in the Ca’ Corner della Regina palazzo on the Grand Canal, which has since 2011 been the headquarters of the Fondazione Prada in Venice, the “Portable Classic” show (9 May - 13 September) explores the origins and functions of miniature reproductions of classic sculptures with more than 90 works. Among the works on display, there’s a series of reproductions of the Farnese Hercules in various sizes and materials, including marble, bronze and terra cotta. There is also selection of portraits dedicated to important collectors from the 1500s with works by artists like

Lorenzo Lotto, Bernardino Licinio and Tintoretto.

Goppion engineered and realized display structures for the exhibition, which are destined to be permanent display features for the Fondazione.

The structures are all different in terms of shape and dimensions, depending upon the rooms they are to be used in and the objects on display. Most are small rooms defined by a steel tube structure, and each room has a series of Plexiglas display cases (with mechanized lift system) in different sizes. The tube structure, which was painted white and has polycarbonate-buffered walls, serves to define the way the exhibition unfolds and creates an interesting interplay with the ancient structures of the palazzo. Two long, horizontal Plexiglas display cases with various compartments were created for the Canon Room while a bold piece made up of 11 boxes set on a base of transparent slabs transformed a typical Renaissance-style cabinet into a Plexiglas structure.

Rounding out the display elements are the 8 bases in sheet steel used for the replicas of the Farnese Hercules in different sizes. Six of these pieces include protective Plexiglas on top. They are placed in a long line that culminates with the fiberglass cast of the original statue, on loan from the city of Naples (where it is typically located in the atrium of the Museum stop of the subway).

The elegance and refinement of Rem Koolhaas’s design, which used transparency and lightness as the main themes and exclusively relied on Plexiglas, made for a significant challenge, especially when it came to the precision and technical ability required by the working of the materials and engineering of opening systems.

Goppion’s engineering design made a significant contribution to the project, allowing the tube structures to be transformed into design elements and functional components of the display, making for a support able to hide all of the mechanical elements and electrical cables necessary to power the illumination systems integrated into the display cases.

This fortunate engineering solution was therefore able to bring together the extreme formal minimalism desired by the designers with the complexity of the technical features necessary to meet the modern needs of conservation. Thus it was quite a challenge due to the peculiar static and structure nature of the historic Venetian palazzo with warped floors that are not fully stable, and all of the issues that go along with the charm of the city on the canals.