The Fondazione Prada presented the 'Monte di Pietà' project in Venice, in the historical Palazzo Ca' Corner della Regina.
'Monte di Pietà', a Christoph Büchel project presented by the Fondazione Prada
The Fondazione Prada presented the 'Monte di Pietà' project in Venice, in the historical Palazzo Ca' Corner della Regina. The project was conceived by Christoph Büchel and is an in-depth investigation of the concept of debt as being at the root of human society and a primary means for exercising political and cultural power.
'Monte di Pietà' is an immersive installation that includes new productions, references to Büchel's previous installations, a mixed selection of objects, historical and contemporary works of art, and documents relating to loans and finance, to the growth of collections and archives and to the creation and meaning of real and artificial wealth.
Büchel has recreated a failing pawnshop using the original appearance of Venice's Monte di Pietà as a showcase for around 50 objects from the Bank of Italy's collection, including 11 Mesopotamian clay cuneiform tablets and several pieces from the Voltolina Collection, which was recently acquired by the Money Museum, such as coins shaped like lances and knives, swords, bone and ivory sticks, javelin tips, pearls, shells and coin-necklaces.
MUDEM's mission is to promote the sharing of knowledge between museum communities, cultural institutions and the general public, including through scientific dialogue and the lending of the precious objects that make up its heritage, making them available to as many visitors as possible, even before it opens.
To find out how these curious objects fit into Büchel's project, click here.
