About Artist
Maurizio Cattelan

Museums League, Maurizio Cattelan, 2018, Museums League

Born in Italy in 1960, Maurizio Cattelan is a renowned artist in the contemporary art scene. He now resides in New York City, where he continues to do solo and group shows. He’s known for controversial works of art as he targets institutions in a playful manner. Cattelan never played by the rules and, in fact, pokes fun at the rules. His work is engaging enough to question the art industry, and we never quite know what he’s going to do next.

About Art Exhibition
The Last Judgment

Maurizio Cattelan, Mini Me (1999), 45×20×23cm, Resin, Rubber, Artificial hair, paint, Clothing.  Image courtesy UCCA Center for Contemporary Art.  

In November 2021, a solo exhibition, The Last Judgment, was set to hit the scene at the UCCA Center for Contemporary Art in Beijing, China. The show features work spanning the past few decades of Cattelan’s career. It tackles themes of death, acceptable social norms, and art history. The curation will run from November until February 20, 2022.

Maurizio Cattelan, Not Afraid of Love (2000), 205×312×137cm, Polyester Styrene, Resin, Pigment, Fabric. Image courtesy UCCA Center for Contemporary Art.

The Last Judgment makes viewers look at the big picture of what Cattelan’s been doing for decades - Being playful and teasing society, art, and looking at life with a holistic philosophy. The exhibition is curated by Francesco Bonami and organized by Liu Kaiyun, Edward Guan, Shi Yao, Anna Yang, and Yvonne Lin.

Maurizio Cattelan, Lessico Familiare (1989), screenshot via artsy.net

The exhibition includes 29 artworks that anything from installations to sculptures. Early in his career, Cattelan created Lessico Familiare (1989), featured in The Last Judgment. As one of his first creations, Cattelan utilizes black and white photography to capture a self-portrait making a heart-shaped symbol with his hands. Comedian (2019) is also featured, and this one is simplistic and silly with a banana duct-taped to a wall.

Maurizio Cattelan, Comedian (2019), Banana, Duct tape Size variable, Image courtesy UCCA Center for Contemporary Art.

Cattelan’s work also frequently references pop culture and art history. Untitled (2001) showcases a burglar scene from the classic Italian movie Big Deal on Madonna Street. Untitled (1998) playfully targets the art industry production system as it pushes for commercialization. A mascot dressed as Picasso entertains observers rather than looking at art for what it really is.

Maurizio Cattelan, Untitled 2001, 150×60×40cm Platinum Silicone, natural hair, fiberglass, clothing. Image courtesy UCCA Center for Contemporary Art.

Maurizio Cattelan, Untitled 1998, Ph Caroline Minjolle, Beyeler 2019

The Last Judgment is a dynamic art exhibition with plenty of experimental forms. One of Cattelan’s newer projects, Zhang San (2021), features a sculpture. It’s outfitted as a homeless man in Beijing. The figure is lying on the ground wrapped in a blanket with pigeons resting on their resting body and a shopping cart is loaded with garbage bags and extra clothes nearby.

Maurizio Cattelan, Zhang San (2021), Image courtesy UCCA Center for Contemporary Art.

About His Artwork

Maurizio Cattelan, No (2021), 101×41×43cm, Silicone rubber, natural hair, clothes, boots, paper bag. Image courtesy UCCA Center for Contemporary Art.

No (2021) is another new project where a figure kneeling on the ground with a paper bag shows that humans really don’t know anything about the definition of fate. While visitors may have some fun with Cattelan’s silly nature, they can also expect daunting and more solemn pieces from his newer art.

Maurizio Cattelan, Untitled(2001), 60×85.5×47cm, Stainless Steel, Wood, electric motors, lights, bells, mechanical components. Image courtesy UCCA Center for Contemporary Art.

During a press conference at the exhibition, curator Francesco Bonami summed up the legacy of Cattelan rather well. Bonami mentioned that Cattelan is, of course, an artist but also a prankster, a communicator, and a provocateur. “He does not care about discussing gender, race, nationality, but combines its complexity including fear, happiness, desire, failure, and success to pay attention to each individual”, Bonami stated.

Maurizio Cattelan, Bidibidobidiboo (1996), Squirrel specimen, ceramic, fumei mesa, wood, paint, steel, Image courtesy UCCA Center for Contemporary Art.

Both existing fans of Maurizio Cattelan and new people just discovering his work are in for a treat in the Beijing area. The exhibition is based on Cattelan’s life and his experience as an artist. With 29 works of art, both new and old, the exhibit sums up the provocative philosophy of Cattelan over decades.

Maurizio Cattelan, Eternal Love (1997), 186×120×60cm Donkey skeleton, Dog skeleton, Cat skeleton, Rooster skeleton. Image courtesy UCCA Center for Contemporary Art.

The Italian-born artist is always known for causing stirrups in the world of art. Over the last three decades, Maurizio Cattelan challenged the way that we view art and institutions. He reminds us to question the rules in place and think for ourselves. After all, our creative freedom is one of the most powerful tools that any artist can have.

-End-