Ultima Generazione activists target Cattelan's L.O.V.E. sculpture in Milan

On the morning of Sunday, January 15, 2023, environmental activist group Ultima Generazione targeted Maurizio Cattelan's public sculpture L.O.V.E. (the "middle finger") in Piazza degli Affari, Milan. The activists splashed washable orange paint on the sculpture's base and released balloons filled with the same paint, careful not to damage the artwork. The sculpture, installed in 2010 in front of Palazzo Mezzanotte (the stock exchange), was conceived by Cattelan as a provocation against financial power. The group's statement referenced the sculpture's symbolism as a mutilated hand making a Roman salute, missing all fingers except the middle one. Three activists were taken to police headquarters pending judicial decisions; one of them, Simone Fucicchia, is already on trial for a previous action at La Scala. The sculpture had been previously targeted in 2021 by street artist Ivan Tresoldi, who painted its fingernail fuchsia on International Women's Day. In December 2022, ICOM acknowledged the climate emergency and recognized museums' symbolic power as protest sites.