Yesterday in Los Angeles, globe-trotting contemporary cultural series Prada Mode landed in the Arts District to unveil its inspired third edition of The Double Club: a jubilant endeavor by experimental artist Carsten Höller in partnership with the neighboring “Luna Luna: Forgotten Fantasy” exhibition. With two days of musical programming thoughtfully curated by the luminary and Drake, the multi-faceted event is tailor made to thrill and delight all who pass through the fleeting wonderland.
The carnival-esque site-specific installation kicked off with a celebratory dinner spearheaded by Brutalisten restaurant, leading straight into a mesmeric soirée featuring DJ sets by Straight Honey and La Cosecha Internacional alongside musical acts by Mimi Xu, Cimafunk, Jojo Abot, Arman Naféei, La Goony Chonga, and Craig Richards. The town’s glitterati, including
Camille Rowe, Mamie Gummer, St. Vincent, Milla Jovovich, Lykke Li, and Giovanna Battaglia Engelbert gathered to bask in the glow of Höller’s otherworldly artwork.
Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images for Prada, courtesy of the artist and Prada.
Prada Mode Double Club Explores the Intersection of Mathematics and Culture in Los Angeles
Welcoming the public over a vibrant Oscars weekend, The Double Club explores the intersection of mathematics and culture by the visionary and science-minded artist.
Building on past major projects including Synchro System (2000) within Milan’s Fondazione Prada, the monumental slides of Test Site (2006) in Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall, and the carnival rides of Amusement Park (2006) at MASS MoCA North Adams, here Höller divides a sweeping warehouse space over and over again in imaginative and meticulous ways to create a subversive arena; fear, joy, and mystery pulse through visitors as they journey through darkness to embark on luminous amusement park rides.
A whirling chair swing, carousel, and roller coaster embellished with fairytale-like colors and animals elicit both childlike wonder and sophisticated sensuality. Thus, a rational and fantastical experimentation of doubleness ensues.
Jojo Abot performs onstage; photo by Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images for Prada, courtesy of Prada.
“Luna Luna: Forgotten Fantasy” Recreates the Beloved 1987 Art Amusement Park
Next door to the installation lies the monumental “Luna Luna: Forgotten Fantasy” show in an additional towering warehouse space. Höller’s project imbues the majestic and surreal nature of the exhibition—a recreation of the 1987 art amusement park which stole the hearts of many—including Höller—in Hamurg, Germany.
From the ingenious mind of Austrian multi-media artist André Heller, a kaleidoscopic fair of rides designed by the likes of Salvador Dalí, Roy Lichtenstein, Jean-Michel Basquiat, David Hockney, Sonia Delaunay, Rebecca Horn, and Keith Haring delighted all ages.
Meant to travel to cities far and wide, but sorrowfully closing after a change in ownership, the carnival’s miraculous works of art were hidden in darkness and storage for decades until the Luna Luna partners, directed by Drake’s DreamCrew, gave them new, shimmering life for an international contemporary audience.
Courtesy of Prada.
Courtesy of Prada.
