Prada Presents “It Waives Back” by Lizzie Fitch and Ryan Trecartin at Prada Aoyama Tokyo
By Sirena Kuo
Prada presents “Lizzie Fitch | Ryan Trecartin: It Waives Back,” an exhibition at Prada Aoyama Tokyo running from October 24, 2024, to January 13, 2025. Supported by Fondazione Prada, this marks the first solo show in Japan for the American collaborative artists Lizzie Fitch and Ryan Trecartin, and their debut in Asia. The sixth floor of Prada’s iconic Herzog & de Meuron-designed building will host this immersive project, blending new films and sculptural installations that challenge notions of territory, identity, and the evolving self.
The exhibition expands on a broader body of work started in 2016 when Fitch and Trecartin relocated their studio to rural Ohio, launching a series called “Whether Line.” Originally commissioned by Fondazione Prada, “Whether Line” debuted in Milan in 2019 as an expansive multimedia experience spanning several structures, with the Ohio property as the backdrop. At its core, the project explored ideas of property and ownership—both physical and metaphorical—and their role in shaping personal identity.
In Tokyo, Fitch and Trecartin revisit and rework footage captured during the making of “Whether Line.” This approach, embracing their concept of “version-hood,” emphasizes the coexistence of multiple narratives and truths, a recurring theme in their work. In “It Waives Back,” these ideas continue to unfold, featuring characters occupying simultaneous states of being within layered environments. Gaming culture plays a key role, both conceptually and visually, reflecting on the opportunities and constraints of game-like social systems.
The exhibition includes a large-scale installation, two films, and a collection of freestanding sculptures. At its center is a sculptural theater—a signature Fitch and Trecartin installation—that blurs boundaries, combining elements of a wooden structure with a darkened greenhouse. This environment invites viewers into a hybrid space where inside and outside, leisure and work, observer and participant intersect in unexpected ways, reflecting the artists’ ongoing exploration of social and spatial dynamics.
