Cattelan, the provocateur
From 21 October 2016 one of the most anticipated artistic events of the year will start. Cattelan's return to the scene. In Paris, at the Monnaie de Paris, “Not afraid of love”, the latest exhibition of the Italian artist, will be presented. Curated by Chiara Parisi. The exhibition will bring together the most famous and celebrated works of Cattelan and will be open to the public until 8 January 2017.
Cattelan, one of the most provocative, irreverent and in some ways cynical artists on the world art scene, will present works on the genre of "The Ninth Hour". The sculpture representing Pope John Paul II crushed by a huge meteorite. Cattelan has always used his art to provoke strong and often conflicting reactions in the public. For example in the work "LOVE" where the letters are the acronym of Freedom, Hate, Revenge, Eternity. The work was placed in front of the Milan stock exchange and it represents a huge middle finger soaring towards the sky. There are many works produced by this artist from the 80s until 2011, when he decides to retire.
But evidently retirement and inactivity do not suit a restless soul like hers. In fact, Cattelan returns to exhibit his art in one of the most prestigious and significant places in the French capital.
An avant-garde life
According to Cattelan, there is no other way to make art than through avant-garde. The avant-garde was born on the one hand from the Futurists, on the other from the Dadaists. It stands against the classic concept of the art system. The Dadaists said they were against everything and everyone, even against themselves, a concept that was partly taken up by the punk movement in the 80s. But the artist's works come out of avant-garde becoming mass media phenomena. It is not a question of a betrayal of the avant-garde or of simple sensationalism, it is a new and completely personal way of understanding art.
While waiting to visit his latest exhibition, one cannot avoid wondering what other surprise this amazing artist will have for the future.
