Miu Miu will join Art Basel in Paris with a public exhibition "Tales & Tellers"

Everybody knows that Miuccia Prada has a passion for art and is an avid art collector. This year, she steps one step further, announcing that her brand Miu Miu will become the official partner of Art Basel Paris' Public Program, running from October 16 to October 20. Entitled "Tales & Tellers", the project puts into the spotlight the works of multidisciplinary artist Goshka Macuga and is curated by Elvira Dyangani Ose, Director of MACBA (Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona). This ambitious artistic endeavour is set to unfold at the iconic Palais d’Iéna, where the brand’s shows take place during Paris Fashion Week. "Tales & Tellers" aims to merge the realms of art, film, fashion, and storytelling, bringing together a dynamic fusion of creative expressions centred around the voices of women. Here is everything you need to know about this exciting project. 

How will "Tales & Tellers" uplift women’s voices?

Miuccia Prada, Miu Miu's creative head, has always been fascinated by the experiences and lives of women. Through projects like the "Miu Miu Women’s Tales" film series, launched in 2011, the brand has provided a platform for female filmmakers to explore diverse views of femininity.

With "Tales & Tellers," Miu Miu builds on its legacy of supporting women’s voices in the male dominated worlds of art, film, and fashion by providing a platform for women to share their stories and reflect on their creative processes and showcasing the diversity and complexity of the female experience, from the personal to the political. In this project, the stories being told through artistic collaborations, film screenings, and live performances, are as diverse as the women telling them. These stories explore the diverse and complex realities of femininity from different perspectives.

What’s role does storytelling play in this project?

What makes "Tales & Tellers" unique is its emphasis on the power of storytelling. Whether personal or universal, stories and the way they’re told have the ability to change perceptions, influence outcomes, and offer new ways of seeing the world.

These stories, told through both digital media and live performances, will be brought to life by actors who embody characters from the original films. By reenacting them, the actors transform into the very narrators of these tales, ensuring that they are preserved and shared authentically with new audiences. This approach allows for a reinterpretation of stories, layering new meanings onto the original works and inviting the audience into an interactive experience without compromising their agency and narrative control.

The "Tales & Tellers" is also a rare chance to relive Miu Miu’s art experiences. Both films featured in "Miu Miu Women’s Tales” and videos comissioned by the brand to accompany its catwalk shows starting from the Spring-Summer 2022 season will be on view.. 

Who’s making it all happen?

Conceived by two powerful women from the world of art, Goshka Macuga and Elvira Dyangani Ose, "Tales & Tellers" will play a unique part in Art Basel Paris' Public Program. In the same location, Macuga will also collaborate with Miu Miu on an artistic intervention to accompany the Spring/Summer 2025 runway show, on October 1. 

So what else should you know about them? Goshka Macuga is a Polish multidisciplinary artist based in London, known for blending historical and archival research with her art. Her work critiques historiography, political structures, and contemporary issues. She has exhibited globally, including at MoMA, Tate Britain, and Documenta, and was nominated for the Turner Prize in 2008. In 2024, she was elected a Royal Academician. Whereas, Elvira Dyangani Ose, currently the director of the Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona (MACBA), mainly explores new artistic platforms outside conventional institutions. She has held various prominent roles, including director and chief curator of The Showroom in London, curator at Tate Modern, and artistic director of the Lubumbashi Biennial. She holds a doctorate in Art and Visual Studies from Cornell University, an MA in Theory and History of Architecture, and a BA in Art History.

What conversations does "Tales & Tellers" hope to spark?

As part of the project, Miu Miu has scheduled a series of panel discussions and conversations featuring prominent directors and artists who have contributed to the brand’s artistic initiatives. Rather than focusing solely on the art or films themselves, these discussions will delve into the personal histories and creative processes behind the works. The goal is to offer insights into the experiences that drive the women behind these stories. By creating a space for reflection and dialogue, "Tales & Tellers" will explore how personal histories and cultural contexts shape the art that these women create. In doing so, the project moves beyond traditional artistic analysis to present a more intimate understanding of how creativity is intertwined with life experience. This is an exciting new take on making a high profile project feel more human, making artists more relatable and showcasing the inspiration and motivation behind a brand’s creative direction.

Courtesy: Miu Miu

Text: Leilani Streshinsky