The Rise and Flush of Maurizio Cattelan

Maurizio Cattelan made waves when he declared he would retire from art following his solo show at the Guggenheim, which just wrapped. How could he let down his legions of fans and fellow lovers of satire? He wants to focus on his art-themed magazine, provocatively titled Toilet Paper. Pass the tissue; actually, no thanks.

In the meantime, the culty bookstore Printed Matter has launched a small exhibition of three books by the former artist's orbit of friends and supporters. (Published by Three Star Books, they are: Die/Die More/Die Better/Die Again, The Three Qattelan and The Taste of Others.) Starting today and running through February 11, the mini-show is conceived in the spirit of Marcel Duchamp’s boîte-en-valise, or a suitcase that opens up into a kind of shrine.

But the books aren't just for show; they're also for sale. The complete set—which comes in a handcrafted cardboard box with embossed and foil-stamped text—retails for $1,550, suggesting Cattelan really, truly is pursuing a career in publishing. Until he makes a mockery of that, too.

• Posted Jan 26, 2012
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