Maurizio Cattelan: Eternity

The Exhibition

More than one hundred artefacts linked to funeral rituals make up Eternity, a project conceived by Maurizio Cattelan and developed with the involvement of students from the Academy of Fine Arts in Carrara, who were asked to explore the theme of death. Gravestones, plaques, cemetery items and other memorial objects refer to artists of the past and present: from Caravaggio to Klimt, from Manzoni to Beuys, from Magritte to Burri, including the artist's own gravestone, deliberately irreverent. The work, presented for the first time in April 2018 in the gardens of the Carrara Academy, was subsequently exhibited at the 48th edition of Forme nel Verde, the contemporary art exhibition organised by the Municipality of San Quirico d'Orcia, curated by Gaia Pasi and entitled Pause, tra caos e armonia (Pauses, between chaos and harmony). Starting on 28 July, Eternity found a new home in the Horti Leonini, a historic 16th-century garden created by Diomede Leoni, a figure linked to Michelangelo's circle, marking the work's first departure from the context in which it was originally conceived.

Renewed in terms of content and objectives thanks to the collaboration between the Municipality of San Quirico d'Orcia and the Academies of Fine Arts in Carrara and Florence, Forme nel Verde is now a platform for experimentation and exchange between young artists from different fields of research. Founded in 1971 from an idea by Mario Guidotti, Tuscany's longest-running exhibition has gradually transformed into a widespread laboratory, focused on the production of site-specific works and raising awareness of contemporary languages in the region. The 2018 edition presents the work of over two hundred artists under 35 from Tuscan academies, with the exhibition spread between the Horti Leonini and Palazzo Chigi. Between these two venues, sound installations, performances, urban interventions and street poster art enliven the urban fabric of San Quirico d'Orcia throughout the exhibition.