Artist Charlie Cauchi presents a 150-kg chocolate sculpture of Russell Crowe as Maximus from *Gladiator* in her installation *Dolce* at the Malta Pavilion's group exhibition *No Need To Sparkle: Experiments in Love and Revolution* in the Arsenale during the Venice Biennale. The chocolate effigy, originally made by Tiziano Cassar for the Hamrun Chocolate Festival in 2023, was previously admired by Crowe himself, who joked about being made of chocolate.
The work explores Malta's layered history and the relationship between reality and mediation, using a pop-culture icon to draw viewers into deeper questions about representation and national identity. The inclusion of a chocolate celebrity statue in a national pavilion at a major international art event highlights how contemporary artists are using humor and familiar imagery to engage with complex cultural and historical themes.