L.O.V.E. Dito Cattelan - Stock Exchange Milano

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This highly debated artwork stands proudly in Milan, directly across from the Borsa di Milano. Measuring 11 meters high, its pure Carrara marble form stretches 4.60 meters as a real sculpture and extends another 6.40 meters at its base. A hand raises in a Roman salute, but with fingers severed, as if worn away by time, leaving only the upraised thumb to defy its original intent. The artwork is situated at the center of Piazza degli Affari, directly opposite the Stock Exchange building, Palazzo Mezzanotte, constructed between 1927 and 1932 during Italy's Fascist era. Cattelan's work serves as a critique of the very foundations upon which this building stands, also delivering an irreverent commentary on what it represents today: the globalized world of finance, devoid of state allegiance and seen as a metaphor for a new form of fascism. Last but certainly not least, its creation is impressively straightforward. Printing it is incredibly easy, regardless of scale, requiring minimal support.