Berlin's contemporary art scene has a new provocation: Maurizio Cattelan's Night, a sprawling exhibition that opened this week at the city's Gropius Bau. Known for his irreverent and often unsettling works, the Italian artist brings together pieces that grapple with power, doubt, and the absurdities of modern life.
Central to the show is Cattelan's infamous sculpture of Adolf Hitler, kneeling in prayer. The piece, titled Him, has sparked debate since its first unveiling in 2001. In Berlin, a city that has made confronting its Nazi past a civic duty, the work carries particular weight. Visitors are confronted with the banal yet chilling image of the dictator in a posture of supplication, forcing a reckoning with how evil can be rendered disturbingly human.
Alongside Him, the exhibition features an exhausted horse, a recurring motif in Cattelan's oeuvre that speaks to the burdens of labor and the limits of endurance. Other works include a self-portrait of the artist as a man with his head stuck in the floor, a commentary on the futility of trying to see beyond one's own perspective.
Power and doubt in the German capital
The choice of Berlin as the venue is no accident. Cattelan's works often test the boundaries of taste and political correctness, and the German capital has a history of engaging with such provocations. The exhibition arrives at a time when Germany is debating its own legacy of power and its role in Europe, from the digital defenses against Russian hybrid threats to the ongoing reckoning with its colonial past.
Curators have arranged the show to encourage a dialogue between the pieces, creating a narrative that moves from the monumental to the intimate. The Hitler sculpture, placed in a room of its own, is a focal point that challenges viewers to consider the nature of evil and the banality of its representation. The exhausted horse, meanwhile, is displayed in a way that evokes both pity and unease, a symbol of the cost of ambition.
Cattelan, who rose to international fame with his 2019 work Comedian—a banana duct-taped to a wall—continues to blur the line between art and spectacle. In Night, he returns to darker themes, exploring the fragility of authority and the doubts that haunt those who wield it. The exhibition also includes a series of new works, including a wax figure of a man lying on a bed, seemingly asleep, which invites reflection on mortality and the passage of time.
Berlin's cultural institutions have long been a stage for such debates. The Gropius Bau, a historic exhibition hall near the Topography of Terror, is a fitting venue for a show that confronts the shadows of history. The museum's director, Stephanie Rosenthal, noted that Cattelan's works "force us to question our own assumptions about power, memory, and the role of art in society."
The exhibition has already drawn mixed reactions from critics and the public. Some praise Cattelan's audacity, while others question whether the shock value overshadows the artistic merit. In a city that has seen its share of controversial art, from the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe to the debates over the Humboldt Forum, Night adds another layer to the ongoing conversation about how Germany remembers and represents its past.
For those unable to visit in person, the exhibition is accompanied by a comprehensive catalog and a series of public programs, including talks and guided tours that delve into the themes of the works. The show runs until late summer, offering ample time for reflection and debate.
As Europe grapples with rising nationalism and the erosion of democratic norms, Cattelan's exploration of power and doubt feels particularly timely. The exhibition serves as a reminder that art can be a mirror, reflecting not only the artist's vision but also the anxieties and contradictions of the age. In Berlin, a city that has reinvented itself from the ashes of dictatorship, Night offers a space for contemplation—and perhaps a little discomfort.
