Avant Arte has teamed up with Italian provocateur Maurizio Cattelan for a collaboration that turns the art world upside down once again. Known for works that swing between absurdity and sharp critique, from the solid gold toilet America to the duct taped banana Comedian, Cattelan has built a reputation as the prankster philosopher of contemporary art. Now, with Avant Arte, he introduces We Are the Revolution (2025), a miniature resin sculpture that reimagines his 2000 piece Untitled while riffing on his legendary La Rivoluzione Siamo Noi.
The work
Each sculpture measures 23 x 6 x 6 cm, hand cast in resin and meticulously painted by artisans. Limited to 1,000 editions and priced at €1,500, the work will be released via a randomized draw on Avant Arte’s platform. Entries close on October 24, with successful collectors notified within 24 hours.
Cattelan’s effigy, once monumental, is now scaled for the home, equal parts parody and self reflection. In his own words: “If you never thought you would be able to hang my effigy in your home, that makes two of us.”
The hunt
In true Cattelan spirit, the launch is not limited to a drop. From September 30 to October 7, Avant Arte will stage a city wide scavenger hunt across New York, London, and Amsterdam. Titled Where’s Maurizio?, the game hides editions of the sculpture in everyday places, from bodegas to antique shops to market stalls, transforming the ordinary into the unexpected.
Clues will appear twice a day on Avant Arte’s dedicated microsite. New York participants will be able to physically chase down the works, while London and Amsterdam hunters will join digitally, submitting their answers online.
And because context is everything, the pricing will shift with each location. A sculpture tucked away at a corner store might be priced at $0.99, while one in a chic antique dealership could reach €9,999. Value here is fluid, playful, and entirely situational, a wink at the art world’s obsession with price tags.
Why it matters
Cattelan has always used humor as a weapon and a mirror. His works question power, institutions, and the very mechanisms that assign worth. With We Are the Revolution and Where’s Maurizio?, the joke is not only on the art world, it is also an invitation for the public to play, to search, and to own a piece of the story.
Mazdak Sanii, Avant Arte’s CEO, frames it as the beginning of a series inspired by Cattelan’s landmark Guggenheim show All: “Collaborating with one of the most influential artists of our time has been an incredible experience, and we’re eager to share it with our community of collectors around the world.”
About the artist
Born in Padua in 1960, Maurizio Cattelan has spent more than three decades testing the limits of art and spectatorship. His works live between the ridiculous and the profound, from a taxidermied horse suspended from the ceiling to a Pope struck by a meteorite. Beyond his solo projects, he co founded TOILETPAPER, the cult image magazine and creative studio with photographer Pierpaolo Ferrari, merging art and pop culture at global scale.
Auction houses continue to affirm his reach. In November 2024, Comedian fetched $6.2 million at Sotheby’s. But Cattelan’s true currency is provocation, a constant reminder that value, meaning, and context are always up for grabs.
Source: StreetArt - streetartnews.net
