Maurizio Cattelan at Guggenheim, New York

The present exhibition of Maurizio Cattelan (IT, 1960) at the Guggenheim New York is one of the most successful installations of all time at the museum. Cattelan managed to convince both the museum and all of the collectors involved that it was all right to suspend practically his entire oeuvre from the rafters of the skylight in the central void of the building. Hanging from simple ropes with no bottom support, this installation embodies the precocious states of both total collapse and heavenly ascension. In both cases one has the feeling that the work will escape our inquisitive eye very soon. In his classic role of prankster artist, Cattelan enhanced this feeling by announcing that he is going to retire, and will stop producing new work now that his retrospective is a fact.

Maurizio Cattelan: All, at the Guggenheim New York, through Sunday, January 22, 2012.