Like a prayer …
Approached from behind, this diminutive waxwork in short trousers resembles a boy bent in prayer. Him was first discovered by gallery-goers, kneeling alone with its back to them, at the far end of Stockholm’s Färgfabriken’s vast, vaulted and otherwise empty art hall in 2001. It has been scandalising audiences ever since, not least for the £12m price tag it achieved at Christie’s auction house in 2016.
Oh boy …
Circling round Him delivers a horror movie jolt of the kind that has earned Maurizio Cattelan his art-world prankster tag. This isn’t a kid, but Hitler. Adolf Hitler praying. For forgiveness?
Joker in the pack …
Cattelan’s art stardom rests on satirical works such as the pope smashed down by a meteorite and a functioning 18-carat gold loo, also on display here.
The human stain …
At their best, his creations achieve far more than a shocking one-liner. With its childlike form, Him prompts questions about the origins and nature of evil, and how and if society can come to terms with it.
Maurizio Cattelan, Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Thursday 12 September to 27 October
