He is famed for creating a golden loo that was stolen and a $6m banana that was eaten. But, says the sculptor ahead of a major new show in Germany, there’s more to his work than pranks and provocation
‘My work has always been serious’: Maurizio Cattelan on his $6m banana, his gold toilet – and bringing Hitler and a pope to Berlin
He is famed for creating a golden loo that was stolen and a $6m banana that was eaten. But, says the sculptor ahead of a major new show in Germany, there’s more to his work than pranks and provocation Maurizio Cattelan,...
365
365 Summary
Understand the story quickly
He is famed for creating a golden loo that was stolen and a $6m banana that was eaten. But, says the sculptor ahead of a major new show in Germany, there’s more to his work than pranks and provocation Maurizio Cattelan, the art world’s merriest prankster, pauses when asked which object in his sprawling new Berlin show is most likely to be defaced, stolen or...
Key points
- He is famed for creating a golden loo that was stolen and a $6m banana that was eaten.
- But, says the sculptor ahead of a major new show in Germany, there’s more to his work than pranks and provocation Maurizio Cattelan, the art world’s merriest prankster, pauses when asked...
- “There is no need to vandalise anything,” says the trim, soulful Italian, explaining that he has already taken care of all that, given how the work cuts villains, imposters and straw men...
Context
This story is part of the Art coverage. The original reporting source identified by the page is The Guardian. Publication date: September 3, 2026.
What to watch
The next relevant developments are those connected to the facts and consequences described above; this page may be updated if the source material changes.
Editorial reading aid based on the information contained in this story and its identified source.
Maurizio Cattelan, the art world’s merriest prankster, pauses when asked which object in his sprawling new Berlin show is most likely to be defaced, stolen or eaten, then emits a foghorn of a laugh. “There is no need to vandalise anything,” says the trim, soulful Italian, explaining that he has already taken care of all that, given how the work cuts villains, imposters and straw men down to size. “But,” he says, referring to the show’s more daring works, “maybe we need someone to resuscitate people.”
Cattelan, who speaks in a lilting English, grins broadly, a mischievous glint in his brown eyes. Speaking on the subterranean level of Mies van der Rohe’s weightless Neue Nationalgalerie (NNG) in Berlin, he darts between the impish and the profound in conversation, mirroring the dizzying range of his work. The silver-haired sculptor is best known for duct-taping a banana to a wall in 2019 and calling it Comedian, in a droll commentary on the excesses of the art market. The joke became even funnier when it sold for $6.2m, then hilarious when its buyer took a bite out of his purchase and swallowed it.
Source: The Guardian
Next recommended read
This story was originally published by The Guardian. Visit the original publication for further details.
Open original publication
