Maurizio Cattelan next to one of his sculptures. Photo credit: Alain Jocard (AFP/Getty Images).
Maurizio Cattelan, the man of 1000 controversies
If you have never heard about this monster of contemporary art, a short presentation is necessary: Maurizio Cattelan was born in Padua (Italy) in 1960. He quickly moved to New York to follow a vocation that was in his head: becoming an artist. An atypical character, he quickly became a "successful brand", sometimes described as the "supermarket of art" by creating controversy around his satiric artworks that regularly make people cringe.
Charlatan for some, genius for others: this troublemaker of contemporary art handles irony to perfection, and masters like no other the art of pushing the limits. With an assumed trash humor, Maurizio Cattelan knows how to put the finger where it hurts: he places us next to our fears, our taboos, our uncertainties. He seeks above all to make us uncomfortable, and it is often successful.
Maurizio Cattelan, Him, 2001.
His last resounding success: a banana taped to the wall during the Art Basel Miami fair in 2019 (Comedian), but also: Pope John Paul II crushed by a meteorite (La Nona Ora), a statue of Adolphe Hitler praying on his knees (Him), a solid gold toilet bowl, usable by visitors (America), or an elephant dressed in the costume of the Ku Klux Klan (Not Afraid of Love).
So, does this ring a bell?
Along with Jeff Koons and Damien Hirst, Cattelan is one of the most collected contemporary artists of all time, and like them, he sometimes installs monumental sculptures on the public domain: so, what's this finger business?
A controversial sculpture
Maurizio Cattelan, L.O.V.E, 2010. Milan.
The artwork we're going to focus on today is called L.O.V.E. : it's an antique-inspired sculpture, carved in a block of Carrara marble, representing a hand on which all the fingers have been cut off, except the middle finger. Installed on a monumental pedestal, the artwork is 11 meters high, and overlooks the Plaza degli Affari, just in front of the Italian Stock Exchange in Milan (financial capital), in the business district. It faces the Mezzanotte Palace, as if to satirically humiliate this temple of Italian finance.
Why "L.O.V.E"? The artist explains that each of the letters must be taken separately, then considered as a whole: L for Liberta (freedom), O for Odio (hate), V for Vendetta (revenge), and E for Eternita (eternity).
Provocation is obvious: middle finger stands up to the violence of modern capitalism.
The communicative charge of the artwork is particularly impressive as the sculpture is presented with a triumphant monumentality: the marble is luminous, the veins are solidly visible, the intention is unequivocal.
A debated lifespan
This sculpture was presented in 2010, for a retrospective exhibition of the artist at the Palazzo Reale (Royal Palace of Milan), which is located a few hundred meters from Piazza della Bolsa.
Initially, the artwork, controversial by nature, was to remain on its pedestal for the duration of the exhibition (1 month), but some influential reactionaries (political and financial) wanted to see it disappear even more quickly. Gradually, a secret struggle began between the leaders of the financial administrations, who felt humiliated by such an affront, and the leaders of the Milanese cultural institutions and the city hall.
On the one hand, the financial administration guided by Guiseppe Vegas (president of the stock exchange authority at the time), wants to see the artwork disappear and threatens to organize its events outside the city. For them, it's a betrayal: the municipality allows the presence of a Trojan horse in the heart of their headquarters. On the other hand, the mayor of Milan (Letizia Moratti), and the director of the Palazzo Reale refuse to give in to the whims of these businessmen in lack of self-deprecation and see in this sculpture an opportunity to affirm the cultural strength of the city (while profiting from art tourism).
Maurizio Cattelan, L.O.V.E (details).
In the epicenter of the controversy, Maurizio Cattelan took the opportunity to inflame the anger of the financiers, declaring that he was ready to offer the sculpture to the city if the city council would allow it to remain permanently installed in the same spot.
Faced with this ultimate provocation, an arm-wrestling match was set in motion. But this was without taking into account the media and popular enthusiasm, and the instincts of modernity of the city hall: in front of the enthusiasm of the spectators, the city decides to prolong the experiment for one year.
Since then, 10 years have passed and the sculpture is still in its place: the stockholders have given in, they have become accustomed to the presence of this monumental insolence. Several mayors have succeeded each other in the presidency of the city, without ever questioning the location or the existence of this artwork that is now part of the daily life of the Milanese.
Finger varnished by an activist for Women's Day 2021.
The irreverent artwork has become a cultural symbol as well as a tourist attraction and has taken advantage of the situation to participate in some surprising collaborations. Like its Belgian cousin, the Manneken Pis, it is sometimes disguised for certain events, like the latest happening: a partnership with Money Heist. An effective association - since the two artworks share a particular defiance towards the capitalist system.
Watch the video of the Maurizio Cattelan x Money Heist happening:
Bastien Alleaume (Crapsule Project)