Maurizio Cattelan and the museum spotlight on his provocative works
Published on 08/26/2026 at 12:55 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Maurizio Cattelan has long treated major museums as his preferred stage, turning their white cubes into sites of slapstick, discomfort and sharp critique. His ongoing exhibition Endless Sunday - Maurizio Cattelan and the Centre Pompidou Collection at Centre Pompidou-Metz brings together around 400 works from the collection in confrontation with some 40 pieces by Cattelan, as French cultural outlet Yonder describes.
Maurizio Cattelan in public collections
At Centre Pompidou-Metz in eastern France, Endless Sunday runs until January 25, 2027 and is co-curated by Cattelan and director Chiara Parisi, who frame the show as a living organism rather than a static retrospective, according to Yonder's presentation.
The exhibition combines large-scale pieces such as the giant cat skeleton Felix and the playable baby-foot work Stadium, which is regularly activated in improvised matches, highlighting how Cattelan uses humor and participation to unsettle institutional norms.
Recent museum narratives and incidents
The same Metz exhibition became a test case for how museums handle conceptual works when the banana from Cattelan's notorious Comedian was reported stolen on May 30, 2026, with the Centre Pompidou-Metz filing a complaint and quickly replacing the perishable element, as detailed by a report in The Art Newspaper.
The museum underscored that the value of Comedian lies in its certificate and display protocol rather than the individual banana, reinforcing how Cattelan's work crystallizes debates over materiality, authorship and the legal framing of institutional responsibility.
All news and background on Maurizio Cattelan
For ongoing coverage of Maurizio Cattelan's exhibitions, market moves and institutional projects, our archive collects recent reports and background pieces in one place.
The work core in museums
Cattelan's position in major public collections has been consolidated over decades, with his works entering institutions such as the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, where pieces including America (the gold toilet) have been shown in surveys of contemporary practice, and the Guggenheim's Guggenheim Pop: 1960 to Now exhibition lists his work among key post-1960 icons.
He also appears in broader thematic shows outside France and the United States, such as The Ark at Powerhouse Arts in Brooklyn and projects at Musée Unterlinden in Colmar, which collectively underline how curators use his installations as barometers for institutional self-reflection.
Where the artist stands now
Maurizio Cattelan remains embedded in major European and US museum programs, with current long-running exhibitions at Centre Pompidou-Metz and in New York underscoring how institutions continue to integrate his humor-inflected critiques into their permanent and temporary narratives.
Maurizio Cattelan at a glance
- Artist: Maurizio Cattelan
- Medium / Genre: Sculpture and installation (conceptual)
- Born: 1960, Padua, Italy
- Place(s) of practice: Studio-based practice between Italy and New York
- Active since: Late 1980s, with early recognition in the 1990s
- Key work groups: La Nona Ora, Comedian, America, Him
- Current/last exhibition: Endless Sunday - Maurizio Cattelan and the Centre Pompidou Collection, Centre Pompidou-Metz, Metz, France, running until January 25, 2027
- Major collections: Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (New York), Centre Pompidou (Paris/Metz), other leading European and US institutions
- Awards: Preis der Nationalgalerie 2026 (Berlin, Germany)
- Next date: currently no announced date in the 30-day window
Frequently asked questions about Maurizio Cattelan
Where can I see Maurizio Cattelan's work right now?
Cattelan's work is prominently featured in the exhibition Endless Sunday - Maurizio Cattelan and the Centre Pompidou Collection at Centre Pompidou-Metz in France, which showcases around 400 collection pieces alongside about 40 of his works.
What happened to the banana in Maurizio Cattelan's Comedian at Centre Pompidou-Metz?
On May 30, 2026 a security guard noticed the banana was missing from Comedian in Metz; the museum filed a complaint and replaced the perishable element in line with the work's protocol.
Is Maurizio Cattelan represented in major US collections?
Yes, his works are part of significant US collections, including the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, where his pieces are integrated into broader surveys like Guggenheim Pop: 1960 to Now.
This article was produced with a.i. support and editorially reviewed. All statements without guarantee; auction results, exhibition dates and awards may change at short notice.
