Maurizio Cattelan's Bergamo exhibition prompts reflection on art in a realized dystopia

Christian Caliandro, an art historian and professor at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze, reflects on Maurizio Cattelan's widespread exhibition in Bergamo. He contrasts the 1990s art objects—brilliant, provocative, and self-contained—with today's context, which he describes as a 'realized dystopia.' Caliandro argues that contemporary art can no longer function as a mere idea-switch; instead, it must overflow its object boundaries to engage with a grim reality. He notes that Cattelan's works, while nostalgic reminders of who we were, now feel inert and mute against the overwhelming competition of real-world dystopia. The exhibition, spread across Bergamo, prompts a reconsideration of art's role and effectiveness in the present moment.