Maurizio Cattelan once remarked, “It’s not about art, it’s about life, and that’s what interests me.” In ‘The Third Hand’ exhibition at Moderna Museet, Cattelan brings this philosophy to life, twisting and shifting power in his dialogue with the museum’s collection.
In ‘The Third Hand,’ he uses each gallery to dissect and reimagine the concept of power in society, infusing the exhibition with his familiar wit and sharp critique. With a keen eye for precision, Cattelan dismantles power structures and exposes human weaknesses. The show hinges on art’s intrinsic power to ignite the imagination. While Cattelan champions the power of art, he remains skeptical of institutional power.
Curator and Museum Director Gitte Ørskou dives into this intersection. Cattelan’s belief that all power expires is evident in how he juxtaposes his works with those from the Moderna Museet as described by Ørskou. One particularly unsettling piece is a statue of Hitler, kneeling as if in prayer. This grotesque image confronts visitors with the monstrous past of a man who once held terrifying power. Positioned before Roy Lichtenstein’s “Finger Pointing,” the scene transforms into an act of accusation, stark and haunting.
Another thought-provoking work features a marble man and dog lying side by side. Are they peacefully dreaming or dead? The lifelike sculptures blur the line between reality and art, questioning the balance of power between species, showing them as equals without clear dominance. The museum also showcases a replica of Cattelan’s monumental “L.O.V.E.” (2010-), a 36-foot marble hand with severed fingers, giving the viewer the middle finger. This gesture, which could also be mistaken for a fascist salute, critiques the totalitarian regimes that plagued Europe in the 20th century.
‘The Third Hand’ is on display at Moderna Museet in Stockholm until January 12, 2025.
Moderna Museet
Exercisplan 4, 111 49
Stockholm, Sweden
