Don't miss Maurizio Cattelan's exhibit at the Menil!

A couple of months ago, I had the pleasure of dining at my friend's house with Maurizio Cattelan and Franklin Sirmans.  It was a surprisingly low key dinner, involving general conversation and just a little talk about the exhibition at the Menil Collection that focuses on Cattelan's large scale works.  Both men were charming and I felt honored to dine in their company.


A few days later, I went to the opening of Cattelan's exhibition at the Menil, which was extremely crowded and prevented me from getting a real feel for his work. This weekend, I had a chance to go back and walk through the museum, taking in every one of Maurizio's creations without interruption because nothing interacts with human emotions better than art. 



This exhibit is very different from all other temporary displays at the Menil in that Cattelan was allowed to handpick works from the museum's permanent collection and arrange them in a way that compliments his own works.   


Cattelan's creations are integrated all over the museum in a peculiar and humorous way.  Each piece is unique, but they all convey a lighthearted message of life, mixed with just a touch of satirical darkness.


It's hard to say which work I liked best.  They are all so wonderful and original.  I loved the twins and the way they look at twin Mona Lisas. This is a minor detail, which most people won't notice without being told, but please be sure to follow the gaze of the twins and the gaze of the Mona Lisas.  


The "bird" is also remarkable.  If you look up and see the finger, walk away from it and watch as it turns into a bird.  How surreal and appropriate for this exhibition!  Cattelan gave us the bird, as though he doesn't care about what we'd think of his unconventional art.  


But that's not true.  Every artist cares and Maurizio doesn't just care, he wants the Houston audience to think, to feel, to react and to talk about his works.


The most poignant work is undoubtedly All - a marble creation of nine bodies inside body bags.  Some may shudder looking at this, but I walked away feeling light.  I left knowing that we will all die one day, each of us in our own way.  I found this depiction of death to be serene.  Of course, death is never uplifting, but it does not have to be dark. 


Of course, this work could be interpreted in many other ways.

Maurizio Cattelan All, 2007Marble

The animal worship is wonderful: Untitled (2009) by Maurizio Cattelan at the Menil
(INRI = Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum -- “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews”)

The Maurizio Cattelan exhibition is on view until August 15, 2010 and is really worth seeing.