Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan has launched “The Confessional,” a participatory artwork that reframes ritual, authorship, and audience engagement through a hybrid hotline format. Known for his irreverent conceptual practice, Cattelan now invites the public to contribute directly to the work. As a result, the project positions confession as both medium and message within contemporary art discourse.
Participation as Medium
Now through April 22, audiences can submit personal confessions via voice note, text, or phone call, thereby transforming private reflection into collective material. Submissions will be personally reviewed by the artist, while select participants will be chosen for a livestream event on April 23. During this broadcast, Cattelan will respond directly, effectively blurring the line between performance and audience interaction.
Despite a firebrand reputation, the Catholic-inspired work isn’t an attempt to scandalize, the artist told The Guardian. “I don’t see it as absolution. It’s not religious authority, it’s a shared gesture. Confession exists in different forms everywhere – even outside religion.” Through this framing, the project shifts away from institutional critique alone and instead emphasizes shared human experience. Consequently, “The Confessional” extends Cattelan’s long-standing interest in participatory provocation into a more dialogic format.
Revisiting “La Nona Ora” in Edition Form
The hotline initiative coincides with a new edition of La Nona Ora, the artist’s controversial 1999 sculpture depicting Pope John Paul II struck by a meteorite. Produced in collaboration with Avant Arte, the work has been reissued as a hand-painted resin figurine in a limited edition of 666. While the scale has shifted to a collectible format, the symbolic charge remains intact.
Avant Arte calls “La Nona Ora” Cattelan’s most sacrilegious piece. The meteorite, added to convey a sense of power and prominence, has particularly stirred outcry. While it was on display at the Zachęta National Gallery of Art in 2000, the rock was removed by a pair of Polish politicians, which led to the ousting of the museum’s director. Nevertheless, the work continues to circulate within both institutional and commercial contexts.
The sculptural edition is available via random draw; however, those who participate in “The Confessional” gain early access. Additionally, select contributors will receive the work without cost, further integrating audience participation into the distribution model. Therefore, the project merges conceptual art, edition culture, and digital engagement.
Religion, Image, and Cultural Tension
Cattelan’s practice has long engaged with religious imagery, and this project continues that trajectory while reframing its tone. Despite previous controversies, the artist remains embedded within institutional frameworks, having exhibited at the Venice Biennale’s Vatican pavilion in 2024. This dual positioning—critical yet included—underscores the complexity of his work.
“Catholicism is something you grow up inside, even if you try to step out of it. It’s belief, theater, control, comfort, all at once. I’m not trying to defend it or attack it,” the artist continued.
“I’m interested in the images it produces and the tension they carry. If someone feels offended, it probably means the image is still alive.”
Ultimately, “The Confessional” situates participation as a contemporary extension of ritual. By combining hotline technology, sculptural editions, and performative response, Cattelan constructs a work that operates across platforms. In doing so, he reinforces the enduring role of provocation, while also foregrounding audience agency within contemporary art practice.