Maurizio Cattelan, born in 1960 in Padova, Italy, recently announced his retirement from making art at a much publicized event at the close of his exhibition Maurizio Cattelan: All, at the Guggenheim in New York City.

The furniture designer, with little formal training, became an artist by accident. He is known for his provocative works: his line of taxidermied animals started in 1995, his wax-effigies, in 1995 or works that made him famous like La Nona Hora, 1999, depicting Pope Jean-Paul II struck by a meteorite.

He has made fun of systems and the art world itself with his dark sense of humor. His works can be somber too, like All, 2007 (above) or plain funny .
He also makes fun of himself , deprecating his art like in his latest exhibition, a retrospective in the air. 128 works of art, spanning 20 years, could be seen, hanging from the rotunda at the Guggenheim.

His works have been exhibited in different venues, Biennials, solo exhibitions in museums, galleries, at The Menil Collection in Houston.
Called a joker, a post-Duchampien artist, Maurizio Cattelan may be retiring from making art, but he is staying very much involved in the art world with his latest publication, a bi-annual picture-based magazine called "Toilet Paper".
Will his art survive his retirement?
Time will tell.