“Fondazione Prada presents ‘Monte di Pietà’, a project conceived by artist Christoph Büchel, in its Venice venue, Ca’ Corner della Regina, from April 20 to November 24, 2024.

 Originally the home of Venetian merchants Corner di San Cassiano, Ca’ Corner della Regina was built between 1724 and 1728 on the ruins of the Gothic palazzo in which Caterina Corner, the future Queen of Cyprus, was born in 1454. In 1800, the building became the property of Pope Pius VII, who assigned it to the charitable Congregation of the Padri Cavanis. From 1834 to 1969, it hosted the Monte di Pietà (Mount of Piety) of Venice, whereas, in 1975, it became the Historical Archive of the Venice Biennale and has been the Venice permanent space of Fondazione Prada since 2011. 

The layered history of the building is Büchel’s framework for constructing an articulated network of spatial, economic, and cultural references. ‘Monte di Pietà’ is a deep dive into the notion of debt as the root of human society and the primary vehicle by which political and cultural power is exercised. Historically, a crossroads of commercial and artistic exchange and intermingling, the city of Venice is an ideal context for exploring the relationships between these complex topics and the deep dynamics of contemporary society.” — Fondazione Prada

Title image: Installation view of “Monte di Pietà”. A project by Christoph Büchel. Fondazione Prada, Venice. Photo: Marco Cappelletti. Courtesy: Fondazione Prada.