Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan is opening a dedicated phone line for confessions. He is also launching new editions of his most controversial sculpture — a depiction of Pope John Paul II struck by a meteorite.
Dial In and Confess
Cattelan is inviting the public to call a phone line and confess their sins directly. The launch accompanies the release of a series of miniature editions of his 1999 sculpture La Nona Ora (The Ninth Hour), which depicts the controversial pope John Paul II after being hit by a meteorite.
Cattelan has invited anyone interested in sharing their secrets to come forward via a WhatsApp voice note or phone call. He will then select those he sees as most in need of absolution and invite them to confess, with him acting as priest, during a livestreamed event on 23 April.The project extends his long-standing preoccupation with guilt, religion, and institutional authority. Cattelan has always used provocation as a creative tool, and this new work is no exception.
The Pope Returns
The new editions revisit La Nona Ora (The Ninth Hour), Cattelan’s 1999 sculpture showing Pope John Paul II crushed beneath a meteorite. The work caused enormous controversy when it first appeared. Catholic groups and Polish politicians condemned it. Auction houses have since sold earlier versions for millions of dollars.
A Career Built on Irreverence
Cattelan is no stranger to stirring public debate. He duct-taped a banana to a wall and sold it for USD 120,000. Cattelan installed a functioning golden toilet in the Guggenheim Museum. He once hoisted a police car onto a flagpole. Each work forces a confrontation with power, value, and belief. To more abput him, check out our article 11 Things You Didn’t Know About Maurizio Cattelan
Athmaja Biju is the Editor at Abir Pothi. She is a Translator and Writer working on Visual Culture.
