Exhibition: “The Porcelain Room – Chinese Export Porcelain”

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The exhibition spaces of Torre, inside Fondazione Prada, host the exhibition curated by Jorge Welsh and Luísa Vinhais conceived to explore the historical context, the purpose and the impact on history and culture of Chinese export porcelains from the 16th to the 19th century. Located at the 4th floor of Torre, the display features over 1,700 porcelains spread over three sections – a sort of room within the room where artefacts are set in a dark velvet structure with window displays and a more intimate space in the shades of gold – highlighting the ability of Chinese producers from the past to adapt their production to the various needs of the market. The exhibition is part of an important project powered by the Prada Foundation conceived to create a plurality of expressive languages that transcend the boundaries of contemporary art.

Into more details

The choice to to locate the exhibition in the spaces of Torre gives way to an artistic dialogue between ancient and contemporary art as well as a comparison between objects and installations coming from different cultural worlds. “First orders” is a term usually attributed to the very first commissions of Chinese porcelains by the Portuguese after their arrival in China. Early Western orders are extremely rare, with only around 150 having survived to the present day. Over 45 examples have been selected for this exhibition, on loan from the most relevant public and private collections from all over the world, representing the entire array of “First orders”, in terms of typology, iconography, and period of manufacture. The second part of the exhibition features a wide selection of daily use objects interpreted as natural and surprising forms representing animals, fruits and vegetables, in order to explore the impact and exoticism of Chinese table wares made for Western markets.