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16 November 2009
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Ben Lewis with Cattelan's Paris dealer in front of one of the artist's works
  ART SAFARI
MAURIZIO CATTELAN: HOW TO GET A HEAD IN THE ART WORLD

Thursday 15 July 2004 midnight-12.30am
 
 

Ben Lewis continues his series of programmes looking at a new generation of contemporary international artists.

Best known to British audiences for his photorealist sculpture of the Pope struck down by a meteorite (recently auctioned in New York for just under $1M), Maurizio Cattelan has also produced sculptures of Hitler in prayer and exhibited the rubble from terrorist bombings. For other works he sellotaped one gallerist to the wall of his white cube, and got another to wear a pink penis costume for six weeks.

Cattelan is the court jester of the art world and the cartoonist of Conceptualism. Denied permission to meet and interview the artist, Ben brings Cattelan's sculptures to life and sends them on missions to put questions to the artist and his doubles. At one point he even dons a giant Cattelan-style head to confront the artist.

 
 
INTERVIEW
Ben Lewis
"He's like the fool in
King Lear"
Ben Lewis
PHOTO GALLERY
Giant heads and a granny
in a fridge
Ben wears a Cattelan-style head

 NEXT WEEK
Gregor Schneider: House of Horrors

 LAST WEEK
Is Relational Art a new ism?

 QUIZ
Test your knowledge of contemporary art.

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