Maurizio Cattelan Launches Confession Hotline and Limited Sculpture Edition

Italian conceptual artist Maurizio Cattelan has initiated a new project involving a telephone hotline where individuals can confess their sins. The service, which became operational on Thursday just before Easter, commemorates the 21st anniversary of Pope John Paul II's passing. Participants can submit confessions through a toll-free number or WhatsApp messaging. Selected contributors will participate in a live-streamed event on April 23, where Cattelan will symbolically offer a form of absolution, though he emphasizes this is not a religious act but a communal gesture. Concurrently, Cattelan is releasing a limited edition of 666 small-scale reproductions of his 1999 sculpture 'The Ninth Hour,' each priced at €2,200. This sculpture famously depicts the late pope struck down by a meteorite and previously generated significant controversy, especially during its exhibition in predominantly Catholic Poland. Cattelan's work frequently blends religious themes with provocative humor, as seen in other pieces like a functional gold toilet and a banana affixed to a wall with duct tape. His relationship with religious institutions has evolved; in 2024, the Vatican invited him to contribute to its Venice Biennale exhibition, where Pope Francis viewed his mural in a prison. The project aims to increase accessibility to contemporary art by involving the public directly and offering affordable collectibles.