La Nona Ora , 1999

Maurizio Cattelan

Narrator: In “La Nona Ora”, or “The Ninth Hour”, Pope John Paul II is pinned to a red carpet by a meteorite. His face is contorted in pain, his hands squeeze his pastoral staff – the symbol of the pope as the shepherd of the people.
 
The title of the work refers to the moment when the crucified Christ exclaims, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” before dying. What is the meaning of this scene? Is it a collision between nature and religion? Is this a heavenly punishment? Or could it be a classical memento mori, a reminder that we are all going to die one day?
 
Maurizio Cattelan’s art can be interpreted in many ways. But the artist himself is reluctant to offer specific explanations. He prefers to leave that to the viewer.
 
Maurizio Cattelan was born in 1960 in Padua, north Italy. In his art, he often processes the powers and ideas that have the strongest influence on the world – the church, politics and the market.
 
It may seem obvious, albeit not without its risks, for an artist born in a Catholic country to use the pope in his explorations of power structures. Cattelan’s works often trigger strong reactions. When “La Nona Ora” was shown in 2000 at Zachęta, the Polish national museum of contemporary art in Warsaw, the director was forced to resign.