Regine April 18, 2006 art

2 months of prison for liberating and damaging Cattelan’s dolls

In May 2004, Italian sculptor Maurizio Cattelan hung three plastic “children” from the ancient oak in Piazza XXIV Maggio, Milan’s oldest tree.

The exhibit was expected to remain on the square for a month but Franco Di Benedetto, a Milanese man, was so horrified by the installation that he tried to “liberate” the dolls. He took a ladder, climbed up the tree, cut through two of the ropes with a hacksaw but fell to the ground while trying to free the third dummy. Cattelan didn’t sue the attacker but Milan authorities carried out an investigation to determine whether the installation was really a work of art, in which case the saboteur would face charges.

The controversy seems to have given Cattelan a boost in the global art market. Days after the sabotage, his suspended, taxidermised horse titled The Ballad of Trotsky, was auctioned in New York for $2.1m (£1.15m).

Benedetto was brought to court and has recently been condemned to pay 309 euro as a fine then to two months of imprisonment for having damaged two of the dolls (tho’ he will not actually spend the time in prison.)

Also by Cattelan: Hollywood, La Nona Ora.

Via weblogart Il Corriere della Sera. Image designboom and La Repubblica.

6Comments

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1

Ron Martinez on April 18, 2006 at 11:33 pm

Call me backward, but work like Catellan’s is sensationalist garbage. In a world where children are routinely brutalized, depictions like these are as likely to spur further violence as they are to evoke other emotions or visions. No Goya, just a canny self-promoter destined to be relegated to the tabloid section of art history.
2

Clay Vernon on April 19, 2006 at 8:44 am

I would argue that Benedetto was just as much a part of the art as the dolls. His actions, the arrest, and the braking of the dolls all add to the quality of the work. That said, 2 months in jail does seem to be a bit punitive.
3

regine on April 19, 2006 at 9:07 am

fortunately signor benedetto won’t actually go to prison. i agree with you Clay, cattelan is often called sensationalist but his work often makes me really think about important issues. he did try to point to the sufferance of kids in this work. what’s the best way to achieve this, to make people stop and think: painting pleasant pinkish putti or shocking people?
4

Gianluca on April 19, 2006 at 11:59 pm

Hi, I’ve seen the dolls in Milan. That place (Piazza XXIV Maggio) is a public place. Is not a gallery, where people can think about philosophy or art. The dolls were horrible to see expecially for kids. I don’t know how to explain… in the pictures you can see the dolls, but in “real”… looks like real 3 kids. People were so angry… and Di Benedetto was one of them. He’s not with Catellan. I agree with Ron: Catellan is a self-promoter. (sorry for my bad english…) Ciao!
5

TJ on April 20, 2006 at 1:35 am

Art isn’t meant to comfort us, to be ‘beautiful’, but to help us learn to be more alive. While I would be upset to see such a work, I don’t find it offensive; the death of living children around the world, constant and unnecessary death … THAT is offensive.
No artist gains a reputation or attention by regurgitating ideas of the past. Once one has an audience, one can afford to cater more to sensitivity.
6

Tom on April 22, 2006 at 9:33 pm

I agree – art is supposed to piss you off. It’s good for you, damn it, whether you like it or not. Like castor oil. Actually, if you enjoy it, it must be pap. Use sandpaper instead of toilet paper. It hurts, so it must have value. Art.

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