Maurizio Cattelan has opened a new exhibition titled NIGHT at Berlin's Neue Nationalgalerie, bringing together signature works and newly created pieces in a setting designed to feel ceremonial and immersive. Curated by Lisa Botti in collaboration with museum director Klaus Biesenbach and Cattelan, the show reflects the artist's long-standing interest in irony, symbolism and public space.
The presentation includes well-known works such as Him (2001), alongside updated and site-specific pieces. Among the new additions are a scaled-down version of the Brandenburg Gate and Dust (2026), a fire extinguisher filled with human ashes, underscoring Cattelan's habit of turning everyday objects into provocative reflections on memory and meaning.
Other works in the exhibition expand that language further. Never places a drummer figure on the museum roof, People fills the ceiling with pigeons, and Purgatory transforms a monument into a threshold-like structure. Together, they create a visual rhythm that moves between humor, tension and contemplation.
Cattelan has described the museum's architecture as naturally ritualistic, comparing it to a contemporary church with a central nave and side aisles. That framing gives the exhibition a quiet, meditative atmosphere while still preserving the artist's sharp conceptual edge.
With its blend of iconic works and fresh installations, NIGHT positions Berlin as a stage for one of contemporary art's most recognizable voices. It may also shape how future museum shows balance spectacle, symbolism and spatial storytelling.
