You won’t find any copies of “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” nor “Charlotte’s Web” in Maurizio Cattelan’s bookshelf. No well-loved tomes of Roald Dahl or Judith Kerr feature in his collection. Indeed, Cattelan’s success has come in part from his ability to subvert expectations, redefining terms and bringing the great and the good of the cultural world with him.
Cattelan’s most recent project, Bedtime Stories, is no exception. He has invited the infamous and renowned of the cultural spheres to read sections of their favourite books, which will be filmed and put online. David Byrne, Takashi Murakami and Elizabeth Peyton are but a few who have participated in the project.
Cattelan defended the nature of some of his subject’s literary selections. He said: “It would have been quite depressing if all the invited artists and contributors had chosen fairy tales and children stories.
He continued: “We look to artists for their ability to show us the unexpected so I am thankful to all the participants for coming up with some genuinely weird stuff.”
For some, trawling the existing literary world was not enough. The first instalment of the series, published yesterday, included Iggy Pop reading a love letter to his deceased dog. Another instalment will see Marilyn Minter recite a limerick aimed at Donald Trump.
While he is aware of his reputation for provocation, it seems Cattelan has genuine hope for his series, particularly amid the pandemic. He notes: “I thought of this project really not as an artwork but simply as a way of being together with others in a moment of isolation.”
He concludes: “You could say all of my work is about the power of images and their seductiveness and their complexities. But sometimes it’s worth showing less and listening more.”
