4 min read1 Maurizio Cattelan – L.O.V.E., 2010, white Carrara Marble, roman travertine, 1100 x 470 x 470 cm (36.1 x 15.5 x 15.5 feet), Piazza Affari Milano, Italy, photo: Zeno Zotti
“Officially, its name is L.O.V.E. – so it stands for love – but everyone can read between the lines and take away the message they see for themselves.”
– Maurizio Cattelan
Address
P.za degli Affari, 20123 Milano MI, Italy
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Accessibility
The sculpture is situated in Piazza degli Affari, which is easily accessible on foot from central Milan.
The piazza is flat and open, making it wheelchair-friendly.
However, there are no dedicated accessibility features such as ramps or nearby restrooms.
Before you go
Behavior: The area is quiet and not heavily frequented by tourists, so take your time to appreciate the sculpture.
Nearby attractions: Explore nearby landmarks such as the Duomo di Milano, which is about a 10-minute walk away, and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II for luxury shopping. The Sforza Castle is also within walking distance.
Night photography: The sculpture is not well-lit at night, but stunning photos can still be captured with long-exposure techniques. Bring a tripod for better results.
Safety: Milan is generally safe, but keep an eye on personal belongings, especially in less crowded areas. The piazza itself is typically calm and secure.
Supplies: There are no seating areas or greenery in the piazza, so prepare for a short visit without amenities. Consider bringing water if visiting during hot weather.
Best visit time
The sculpture is best visited in the early morning or late afternoon to avoid peak heat and harsh shadows for photography.
While not properly lit, evenings provide a quieter and more atmospheric experience, especially with creative nighttime photography techniques.
Weekends are ideal for a relaxed visit, and Sunday mornings occasionally host vintage car and motorcycle meetups, adding an unexpected charm to the piazza.
DirectionsBy car
From central Milan, drive towards Piazza degli Affari using Corso Magenta or Via Dante. Parking is limited in the area, so consider using a nearby public parking garage.
By public transport
Take the M1 metro line to Cordusio Station, which is a 3-minute walk from the piazza.
By foot
From the Duomo, head west along Via Meravigli for approximately 10 minutes until you reach Piazza degli Affari.
Introduction
If you stroll into Milan’s1 Piazza degli Affari, you are bound to feast your eyes on a shocking sight: A 4 to 5 meters high marble2 sculpture of a veiny hand giving its beholders the middle finger. The middle finger is placed on a 7 m base.
The display of the fascist salute has a twist though, all the other fingers have been chopped off to leave the middle finger, considered an obscene, offensive gesture. The sculpture by Maurizio Cattelan3 is right in front of the fascist-styled Palazzo Mezzanotte, the Italian stock exchange building. To many people, it seems to flip it off.
The meaning of L.O.V.E.
While you may think this is the case, there is more than meets the eye. The sculpture’s name, L.O.V.E. is officially an acronym standing for liberta, odio, vendetta, and eternita, translated to ‘freedom, hate, revenge, and eternity.’
Therefore while at first glance the hand flips you (and the stock exchange building,) a closer look shows you the severed fingers, after which the initial fascist salute is reduced to a middle finger, an attack on fascism. However, it does elicit a lot of giggles from people visiting Milan who pose for photos with it.
The story behind it
While Maurizio has never spilled the tea on the actual meaning of the sculpture, maintaining that one can take away whatever meaning they get from it, it is however not lost on art enthusiasts that the sculpture created in 2010 was commissioned after 2008 when the economic crisis struck the whole of Europe and Italy in particular.
One can only imagine that it sends a giant ‘f..ck you’ to the financial world at Milan’s Piazza delgi Affari. Italy’s financial sector is believed to have contributed to the recession during which Italy sank into a financial crisis.
Video of L.O.V.E.
2 min 43 sec
About the Artist
Maurizio Cattelan is known as the jokester of the sculpting world. He is known for his ingenious cheeky creations that are often provocative. Indeed based on this, the BBC broadcasted a documentary about his life and work, called ‘The Art World’s Prankster: Maurizio Cattelan.’
He was born in 1960 and his satirical works are wildly polarizing, with people liking them or hating them. For example, works such as The Ninth Hour depicting Pope John Paul II being struck by a meteor or Him4 showing Adolf Hitler kneeling in the former Warsaw Ghetto.
Photos
2 Maurizio Cattelan – L.O.V.E., 2010, white Carrara Marble, roman travertine, 1100 x 470 x 470 cm (36.1 x 15.5 x 15.5 feet), Piazza Affari Milano, Italy, photo: Zeno Zotti3 Maurizio Cattelan – L.O.V.E., 2010, white Carrara Marble, roman travertine, 1100 x 470 x 470 cm (36.1 x 15.5 x 15.5 feet), Piazza Affari Milano, Italy, photo: Zeno Zotti4 Maurizio Cattelan – L.O.V.E., 2010, white Carrara Marble, roman travertine, 1100 x 470 x 470 cm (36.1 x 15.5 x 15.5 feet), Piazza Affari Milano, Italy, photo: Zeno Zotti5 Maurizio Cattelan – L.O.V.E., 2010, white Carrara Marble, roman travertine, 1100 x 470 x 470 cm (36.1 x 15.5 x 15.5 feet), Piazza Affari Milano, Italy, photo: CC BY 2.06) by Marco Guadagnuolo7
Editions
Smaller 2014 edition of L.O.V.E.
8 Maurizio Cattelan – L.O.V.E., 2014, concrete, 39,5 x 14,5 x 14,5cm, 1-28 scale reproduction of L.O.V.E. installed in 2010 in Piazza Affari Milan – Italy
L.O.V.E. music box, 2014
9 Maurizio Cattelan – L.O.V.E. music box, 2014, composite plastic, 11 x 11 x 21 cm (4¼ x 4¼ x 8¼ in) Not only does the finger rotate on the pedestal, the mini sculpture plays song Raindrops keep fallin’ on my head.
L.O.V.E. Snow Globe, 2014
10 Maurizio Cattelan – L.O.V.E. Snow Globe, 2014, resin, glass, glitter, water, 16.5 x 11.4 x 11.4 cm (6.5 x 4.5 x 4.5 in), edition of 2000
All images: Maurizio Cattelan unless otherwise noted.
2 min 43 sec
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