Maurizio Cattelan opens first major German exhibition in Berlin
Maurizio Cattelan, the Italian artist known for provocative works such as a $6.2m banana taped to a wall and an 18-carat gold toilet, is opening his first major solo exhibition in Germany, titled Night, at Berlin's Neue Nationalgalerie. Speaking ahead of the show, he pushed back against his reputation as a mere prankster, insisting his art has "always been serious" even when audiences fixate on the joke. The exhibition matters because it represents a rare institutional attempt to present Cattelan's deeper themes of power, memory and history, rather than the viral stunts for which he is best known.
The show, awarded to Cattelan as winner of this year's Neue Nationalgalerie prize, deliberately omits his most famous pieces, such as the banana (Comedian) and the gold toilet (America), in favour of works exploring collective memory and historical trauma. Highlights include Him, a 2001 sculpture of a kneeling Adolf Hitler that sold for $17.2m in 2016, alongside Dawn, a crucifixion-pose figure, thousands of stuffed pigeons suspended from the ceiling, and La Nona Ora, depicting Pope John Paul II struck by a meteorite. Museum director Klaus Biesenbach described Cattelan as "a very deep thinker who camouflages seriousness with humour", while curator Lisa Botti noted the pigeons also carry a note of optimism.
- Cattelan's first major German solo show, Night, opens at Berlin's Neue Nationalgalerie
- Show skips his famous banana and gold toilet works for weightier themes
- Includes his $17.2m Hitler sculpture Him and other provocative religious/historical pieces
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Maurizio Cattelan is one of the art world's most prominent and provocative figures, best known for stunts like taping a banana to a wall (which sold for $6.2m) and installing a solid gold toilet in a gallery. His work often draws headlines for its shock value, but he has long argued that beneath the humour lies serious commentary on power, history and human nature.
The Neue Nationalgalerie is one of Berlin's leading museums for modern art, and Cattelan's show there, called Night, is his first major solo exhibition in Germany. It comes after he was named winner of the museum's annual prize, and rather than featuring his most famous pieces, the exhibition focuses on lesser-seen works dealing with memory, trauma and history, including a sculpture of a kneeling Hitler and a depiction of the Pope struck by a meteorite.
The exhibition matters because it is a rare chance for a major institution to present Cattelan on his own terms, away from the viral fame of individual works, and to test whether audiences and critics see him as a serious artist rather than simply a provocateur.
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Originally published by The Guardian as “‘My work has always been serious’: Maurizio Cattelan on his $6m banana, his gold toilet – and bringing Hitler and a pope to Berlin”.