confess your sins to maurizio cattelan for the fallen pope miniature

Maurizio Cattelan’s meteorite pope returns as a miniature

With La Nona Ora, Maurizio Cattelan revisits one of his most controversial works, translating 1999 installation in a new limited edition sculpture. The piece depicts Pope John Paul II struck by a meteorite, frozen in a moment of collapse on a vibrant red carpet. Both irreverent and carefully crafted, the play retains its original tension, presenting a powerful religious figure as vulnerable and human.

To mark the release, the Italian artist extends the work beyond the object itself by introducing a confession hotline, inviting the public to submit their sins via voicemail, text or WhatsApp. Starting on April 2, 2026, just before Easter, the initiative builds on the structure of the Catholic confession while translating it into a modern, mediated form. Participants are offered a form of token exemption alongside early access to the publication. Cattelan will personally review submissions, respond to selected confessions and award one with the sculpture.

all images courtesy of Avant Arte unless otherwise noted

The Ninth Hour: controversy as material

The original La Nona Ora (1999) provoked strong reactions on its debut, particularly in Catholic contexts. One of its most visible effects occurred in Poland, where the project contributed to the resignation of a museum director following public and political pressure.

Re-introduced in this form by Before Arte, Maurizio Cattelan’s work maintains its critical position. The addition of the hotline extends its logic, inviting viewers to engage directly with the same themes of guilt, judgment, and redemption that artist brings forward through this sculpture.

The limited edition consists of 666 individual hand-painted resin sculptures, a number not chosen lightly, each accompanied by a metal ferrule. Measuring 12 × 29 × 19 cm, each piece is marked with a handwritten edition number and comes with a certificate of authenticity.

The edition will be released on April 23, 2026, after the hotline is closed, establishing a series in which participation and confession precede acquisition.

Maurizio Cattelan, The Ninth Hour (1999) | image courtesy of Perrotin