Maurizio Cattelan's Milan exhibition presents three new works in a somber, theatrical installation

Maurizio Cattelan's exhibition 'Breath Ghosts Blind' at Pirelli HangarBicocca in Milan, running from 15 July 2021 to 20 February 2022, marks his first show in the city in over a decade. It features three new works: 'Breath' (2021), a pair of Carrara marble sculptures depicting a fetal human figure and a dog, spotlighted in darkness; 'Ghosts' (2021), thousands of taxidermied pigeons perched on beams in the 30-meter-high Navate space, echoing his 1997 Venice Biennale piece 'Turisti'; and 'Blind' (2021), a massive black tower pierced by an airplane, evoking 9/11 imagery. The installation eschews Cattelan's typical humor for a mood of sorrow and mystery, using dramatic lighting to create a cohesive narrative across the cavernous industrial venue. The show draws comparisons to previous HangarBicocca exhibitions by Carsten Höller, Philippe Parreno, and Cerith Wyn Evans, while referencing Anselm Kiefer's 'The Seven Heavenly Palaces' (2004–15) nearby. ArtReview published a review in September 2021, noting the works' themes of loss, vulnerability, and surrealism.