Maurizio Cattelan Wins the Marmomac Best Communicator Award 2025

Maurizio Cattelan’s Robotic Marble Head Takes the Spotlight in Verona

In Verona, during the renowned Marmomac fair dedicated to marble and natural stone, Maurizio Cattelan was awarded the Marmomac Best Communicator Award 2025. However, instead of the artist himself, a surprising robotic sculpture-portrait collected the prize: Cattelan’s head, carved in Carrara marble and equipped with a speaking function. The original installation was created by Litix, a company specializing in robotics applied to sculpture, immediately capturing the attention of visitors and the press.

The project was conceived as a performative act: alongside the sculpture, the jury and audience were able to watch a time-lapse of the creation process and listen to a voice message from the artist, who said from New York: “Since I couldn’t be there in person, I decided to send my head carved by a robot. It seemed like the easiest way to be present without having to give a long speech.”

The jury, composed of Silvia Nani, Manuela Mimosa Ravasio, Alessandro Mauro Rossi, and Aurelio Chinellato, explained the award by emphasizing the communicative value of the work: “Cattelan’s creations are not only reflections on the cyclical nature of life and history, and on the transformations of individuals and society, but they also represent an extraordinary synergy between artistic intuition and advanced robotic technology, capable of generating a strong communicative and symbolic impact.”

The use of Carrara marble, chosen by the artist for this robotic portrait, is not new in Cattelan’s work. For years, he has transformed his most irreverent gestures into sculptures: from the provocative LOVE in Milan, to the floor-based works exhibited at Panorama Italics in Pozzuoli, up to the massive fallen eagle presented in his recent exhibition in Bergamo. The choice of marble is not merely aesthetic: this material, symbolizing nobility and monumentality, becomes for the artist a vehicle for ironic and provocative concepts, challenging tradition and technical virtuosity.

Cattelan’s robotic head in Verona creates a dialogue between presence, image, and technology. It is a double of the artist, produced in record time by robotics, turning the award ceremony into a conceptual sculpture, playing with themes of delegation and representation. The use of Carrara marble, such a prestigious and historic material, amplifies the paradox: monumental physicality contrasts with an ironic and contemporary gesture, demonstrating how sculpture can still surprise and communicate in unexpected ways.

In the video message shared during the ceremony, Cattelan jokes about his robotic double: “I thank the jury, the audience… and also the robot that is literally giving me shape right now. I hope this head finds a nice spot at the fair, maybe near the bar, so you can talk directly to it if you have questions. In the meantime, I take the credit.” This intervention shows how sculpture can transcend the physical presence of the artist, combining technology and humor.

In addition to Cattelan, the jury gave a special mention to Yuri Ancarani for the short film Il Capo (2010), shot in the Gemeg quarries and screened daily during the fair. Ancarani stated: “I believe art remains the most advanced form of communication. This mention, along with the screening of my short film, truly celebrates the essence of the work we all carry forward.”

The Marmomac 2025 awards also introduced a new section dedicated to notable figures in culture. Among the most significant recognitions: architect Hannes Peer for the installation Crash presented at the Salone del Mobile 2025, and Paolo Stella, influencer and creative director of @suonarestella. For the Exhibitors category, the winners were I Conci (Natural Stone), DDchem (Technology), and Verzu (Visions), while the special IUSVE mention from the Salesian University Institute of Venice went to Furrer.

Cattelan’s work demonstrates how sculpture can evolve through the integration of technology without losing its historical and symbolic significance. The robotic head in Carrara marble is more than an ironic gesture: it is a reflection on the role of the artist, presence, and interaction with the audience. Marble, long associated with durability and classicism, is reinterpreted in a contemporary key, proving that the dialogue between tradition and innovation is still vibrant and engaging.

Cattelan’s decision to “delegate” the award ceremony to his robotic sculpture also serves as a commentary on the performativity of contemporary art. The piece speaks for itself, with the artist’s voice, but also as a physical object—solid, visually striking, and engaging. In this sense, Carrara marble is no longer just a raw material but a communication tool capable of evoking empathy, surprise, and discussion among viewers.

Ultimately, the Marmomac 2025 ceremony transformed a typical artistic award into an immersive and conceptual experience: Maurizio Cattelan’s talking head, carved in Carrara marble, perfectly embodies the intersection of artist, technology, and audience. It demonstrates that sculpture, while rooted in tradition, can still astonish, provoke, and communicate in innovative ways, confirming marble as an eternally relevant material and the artist as a bridge between history, technology, and contemporary culture.