Guggenheim Hangs with MAURIZIO CATTELAN

The Guggenheim, arguable one of the most annoying museums to visit in the city. Yes it's cool looking, Yes it's an important part of architectural genius by Frank Loyd Wright and Yes it's one of the worst ways to display art, going up these annoying ramps were people are in a single file line as if they are picking up food from a cafeteria. I have seen numerous numerous exhibits here and always come out of there feeling like I have been released from a cow herding drive. I once spoke with one of the curators of the Guggenheim who said it was a masterpiece in art, not necessarily for displaying art. However, I am always telling people to go to ANY museum, as they are under funded and over looked. So, The Romanian and I jetted into the city for a look at their newest exhibit by artist Maurzio Cattelan. Never heard of him? WHAT? Well, it's fine either way as I will give you a very brief history of this odd duck.


    Born in Padova Italian, known to be a major prankster ( he once stole another artists exhibit put it in his own gallery space with his name) co-owns the magazine "Toilet Paper", fascinated with death, puns and government's love of corruption and doesn't make his own art (Yes- that is right. He hires people to build and create what he is imagining)  He has been described by Jonathan P. Binstock, curator of contemporary art at the Corcoran Gallery of Art "as one of the great post-Duchampian artists and a smart ass, too".    He was actually a late bloomer as an artist, starting only 17 years ago. He's in his 50's. He began with taxidermy animals and moved onto life size wax figures. 
      What made this exhibit so special was that is showed nearly his entire body of work under one roof. What made is even more interesting was he said he wanted it all hanging from the rotunda. This is where the Guggenheim, in all of its roundness, shined! It was fabulous to walk around the hanging pieces while ascending. There were so many pieces that each step gave us something new to look at. To photograph everything would have taken forever, but I got some of the bigger pieces and it gives you a glimpse into the wild mind of Cattelan. Enjoy!

All photographs by HouseandPost