Maurizio Cattelan has launched a participatory artwork and sales campaign titled 'The Confessional,' where people can call a hotline to submit their sins for his consideration. Selected participants will be invited to a livestreamed event on April 23 where Cattelan, acting as a priest, will absolve them. The project is tied to the re-release of his controversial 1999 sculpture 'La Nona Ora,' a miniature wax figure of Pope John Paul II struck by a meteorite.
The stunt serves as a promotional vehicle for a new edition of 666 miniature replicas of the iconic sculpture, priced at €2,200 each and released in partnership with the platform Avant Arte. Confession submissions grant early access to a purchase lottery, with those chosen for the livestream receiving a free edition. This blend of performance, commerce, and provocation is classic Cattelan, leveraging his notoriety from works like the $6.2 million duct-taped banana and the $12.1 million gold toilet to generate buzz and market a new, accessible edition of a historically significant and divisive artwork.