A fake Prada store in the middle of the Texas desert has become an attraction for visitors and vandals — here's how it got there

Prada Marfa is in Valentine, Texas.Jonathan Percy/Shutterstock

• Prada Marfa is an art installation located in Valentine, Texas, off US Highway 90.
• It was created by two Berlin-based artists who are known for addressing and criticizing societal trends through their work.
• The single-room replica of a Prada store contains real Prada items, although its doors cannot be opened.
• The artists intended for nature to slowly work its way through the sculpture, however Prada Marfa was vandalized almost immediately after its debut, forcing the artists to intervene.

Sitting along a barren Texas highway in the middle of the desert is a lonely Prada storefront — but get closer and you'll see the store is not exactly what it seems.

Prada Marfa, the brainchild of Berlin-based artists Michael Elmgreen and Ingar Dragset, is actually a sculpture of the luxury boutique, made completely out of biodegradable materials. The artists' goal was to leave Prada Marfa completely untouched, slowly watching it decompose into nature and serving as a subtle nod to American consumerism and retail tourism.

However, within days of completion, the sculpture was robbed and graffitied. It has become the subject of continuous vandalism and controversy, yet it still remains as an iconic tourist destination for tourists and even celebrities.

Here is a look at the lone Prada store in the middle of the desert.