Plastikman, also know as world-renowned electronic musician Richie Hawtin, has created a series of bespoke soundscapes to Pradasphere II in Shanghai, an intimate journey and public exhibition curated by Prada co-creative directors Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons and conceptualised with global design consultancy, 2×4 New York.

Building on the success of the first iteration in 2014 the exhibition features more than 400 artifacts — physical and digital drawn from the fashion archive as well as decades-long engagements across art, architecture, culture, and sport. Sharing new perspectives on 110 years of history, the exhibition grants unparalleled, first-hand access into the brand’s past, present, and future in which Hawtin has provided a bespoke soundscape across multiple immersive spaces. At Pradasphere II, the soundscapes reveal themselves as guests move through the exhibition.

A cultural examination, Pradasphere II is the perfect multi-format collaboration to capture the symbiotic relationship and creative chemistry that Plastikman has developed with the iconic fashion house.

Plastikman, aka Richie Hawtin, states: “My relationship with Prada is a beautiful interplay for the senses. My task, as always in my collaborations with Prada, is to find the right frequencies to act as a supporting architecture for Mrs. Prada & Raf’s vision. This particular project was creatively challenging due to its scale and ambition and was still a work in progress as I left the studio and headed to Shanghai for the installation. Only upon arrival could I truly appreciate the subtleties of the exhibitions intentions, which helped focus the final details of the music. Each piece is a unique hour-long generative audio soundscape, delicately balancing sight & sound, in order to create a perfect harmonic experience. Pradasphere II bought together a unique group of inspiring minds augmenting the core Prada team. Working along side everyone, including Michael Rock and his 2×4 team, was a dream and something that I will not soon forget.”

Richie’s work with Prada began in 2021 during the pandemic, when the brand hired Plastikman to compose a series of runway soundtracks for Prada’s responsive, seasonal online fashion shows for both the men’s and womenswear collections.

A now frequent Prada collaborator, 2021 saw Hawtin host a new collaborative concept which he titled Prada Extends at Tate Modern’s live art and performance space The Tanks which formed a pioneering programme; curated and composed through his ideas of sound and visuals.

Now a global event partnership and series, Prada Extends focuses on a diverse selection of local emerging talent (music and visual), celebrating the creative cultures of the selected city and has since travelled to Tokyo, Japan; Miami’s Art Basel in 2022; and Bangkok, Thailand in 2023.