Art provocateur Maurizio Cattelan sells off a slice of history in New York
Despite his much-publicised retirement in 2012, Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan has far from disappeared. There are several quirky collaborations on the go, like the artzine ToiletPaper, created with photographer Pierpaolo Ferrari. And now the provocateur is back in the gallery spotlight, thanks to 'Cosa Nostra', a selling show of the artist's work newly opened in New York. Displayed at two locations - the Upper East Side galleries Venus Over Manhattan and Sotheby's S|2 - the works were gathered from private collections, with prices expected to start at $30,000 and soar to $2 million.
Touted as the largest and most comprehensive showing of the artist's work since his Guggenheim retrospective in 2011, 'Cosa Nostra' showcases many of Cattelan's most memorable pieces. There are animal-centric creations, like the 'Untitled' sitting cow with motorcross handles for horns, and the Italian pavilion-inspired 'Turisti' (1997), which sees taxidermy pigeons scattered throughout the gallery. The more scandalous sculptures pose likenesses of JFK, Hitler and the Pope in all sorts of controversial situations. Both venues offer a rare chance to catch Cattelan's famous works in the flesh.
Venus Over Manhattan has created a suspenseful environment inspired by Marcel Duchamp's 'Door, 11 rue Larrey' to present its pieces. The space is split into seven rooms, with dark-painted walls creating mysterious chambers, each containing a single piece. The works are visible through portholes, windows and keyholes set within different wooden doors, heightening the sense of drama already palpable in the works. By contrast the collection at S|2 is presented in a room lined with mirrors that magnify the twisted, surreal nature of Cattelan's oeuvre.
To cap things off, visitors can see the trailer for the documentary Maurizio Cattelan: The Movie, 15 years in the making. Directed by Maura Axelrod, who has been filming Cattelan since 2000, the intimate portrait of the artist features interviews with close family and friends and exclusive archival footage - and sheds light on the personal origins of Cattelan's many themes. The film is scheduled for release in the summer of 2015.
ADDRESS
Venus Over Manhattan
980 Madison Avenue
3rd Floor
New York
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
Pei-Ru Keh is a former US Editor at Wallpaper*. Born and raised in Singapore, she has been a New Yorker since 2013. Pei-Ru held various titles at Wallpaper* between 2007 and 2023. She reports on design, tech, art, architecture, fashion, beauty and lifestyle happenings in the United States, both in print and digitally. Pei-Ru took a key role in championing diversity and representation within Wallpaper's content pillars, actively seeking out stories that reflect a wide range of perspectives. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two children, and is currently learning how to drive.
-
Get to know Issey Miyake’s innovative A-POC ABLE line as it arrives in the UK
As A-POC ABLE Issey Miyake launches in London this week, designer Yoshiyuki Miyamae gives Wallpaper* the lowdown on the experimental Issey Miyake offshoot
By Jack Moss Published
-
Eurovision unveils its 2024 stage, designed by Beyoncé's Renaissance Tour creatives
This year's stage design aims to bring the audience into the performance more than ever before.
By Charlotte Gunn Published
-
Ikea meets Japan in this new pattern-filled collection
New Ikea Sötrönn collection by Japanese artist Hiroko Takahashi brings Japan and Scandinavia together in a pattern-filled, joyful range for the home
By Rosa Bertoli Published
-
Surreal, uncanny, seductive: step into Graham Little’s world
Scottish artist Graham Little presents his first US retrospective at The FLAG Art Foundation in New York
By Hannah Silver Published
-
The cosmos meets art history in Vivian Greven’s New York exhibition
Vivian Greven’s ‘When the Sun Hits the Moon’, at Perrotin in New York City, is the artist’s first solo exhibition in the USA
By Emily McDermott Published
-
The Met’s ‘The Real Thing: Unpacking Product Photography’ dissects the avant-garde in early advertising
A new exhibition at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York explores the role of product photography and advertising in shaping the visual language of modernism
By Zoe Whitfield Published
-
Tony Notarberardino’s Chelsea Hotel Portraits preserve a slice of bygone New York life
‘Tony Notarberardino: Chelsea Hotel Portraits, 1994-2010’, on show at New York’s ACA Galleries, is the photographer’s ode to the storied hotel he calls home and its eclectic clientele
By Hannah Silver Published
-
‘LA Gun Club’: artist Jane Hilton on who’s shooting who
‘LA Gun Club’, an exhibition by Jane Hilton at New York’s Palo Gallery, explores American gun culture through a study of targets and shooters
By Hannah Silver Published
-
Detroit Institute of Arts celebrates Black cinema
‘Regeneration: Black Cinema 1898-1971’ at the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) brings lost or forgotten films, filmmakers and performers to a contemporary audience
By Anne Soward Published
-
BLUM marks 30 years of Japanese contemporary art in America
BLUM will take ‘Thirty Years: Written with a Splash of Blood’ to its New York space in September 2024, continuing its celebration of Japanese contemporary art in America
By Timothy Anscombe-Bell Published
-
Todd Gray’s sculptural photography collages defy dimension, linearity and narrative
In Todd Gray’s New York exhibition, he revisits his 40-year archive, fragmented into elaborated frames that open doors for new readings
By Osman Can Yerebakan Published