Maurizio Cattelan graces GQ cover with fire-breathing persona

Maurizio Cattelan, born in Padua in 1960, appears on the September 2020 cover of GQ magazine, depicted as a modern fire-breather wearing a complete Gucci outfit and holding an oxyacetylene torch. This marks the first time the magazine's cover will be shared across all 21 international editions. To celebrate his 60th birthday on September 21, Cattelan contributes a 23-page feature, including an interview where he responds only with short aphorisms, such as "I don't fear time, but time zones." The creative concept, shot by photographer Daniel Riera with styling by Nik Piras, takes place in a car scrapyard on the outskirts of Milan, where Cattelan smashes windows and jumps on car roofs, metaphorically reflecting his irreverent 30-year career. The feature includes contributions from Ilaria Bonacossa, president of Artissima; Patrizia Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, collector and founder of the Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo; and Massimo De Carlo, the leading Italian gallerist who is about to open a new space in Paris. Additionally, Cattelan becomes the ambassador for GQ's international campaign "Change Is Good," which promotes a new model of masculinity based on diversity, gender equality, sustainability, and mental health. The campaign, supported by digital social media, aims to reach 50 million readers across six continents. GQ editor Giovanni Audiffredi states, "Change Is Good is born from the idea that change is a constant commitment, a progressive perpetual motion."