The Exhibition

‘The Artist is Present’ is an act of appropriation.
Curated by Maurizio Cattelan the exhibit focuses on artists’ projects that propose simulation and copy as a paradigm of global culture.

The title of the show—named after Marina Abramovic’s celebrated solo show at MoMA—aims at demonstrating how the act of copying can be considered a noble act of creation, featuring the same artistic value as the original. On show, more than 30 international artists will present both site-specific and existing works questioning one of the most hallowed principles of art in the modern era: originality. In an era where everything is reproduced, nothing really keeps the aura of originality, suggesting the urgency to overcome an old concept of counterfeit in favor of a new way to conceive copy as an indispensable tool for facing our contemporary society. From a life-size reproduction of the Sistine Chapel to a replica of the Hollywood sign, ‘The Artist is Present’ might be seen as a manifesto based the concept that appreciation of a work relies on engagement with ideas rather than on simple visual gratification of an original artwork. The exhibit’s fuchsia lit tunnel is created by Kapwani Kiwanga, an artist who delves into disciplinary architecture and deconstructs the physical and psychological qualities of different built environments including schools, prisons, hospitals and mental health facilities.