Maurizio Cattelan to Present Solo Exhibition at Neue Nationalgalerie

Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan receives the Preis der Nationalgalerie 2026. His solo exhibition opens at Neue Nationalgalerie during Berlin Art Week 2026, supported by BMW.

Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan has been announced as the winner of the Preis der Nationalgalerie 2026, one of Europe’s most prestigious contemporary art awards. His first solo exhibition in Germany will open in autumn 2026 at Berlin’s Neue Nationalgalerie, where Mies van der Rohe’s architecture will frame works that merge irony, tragedy, and philosophical depth.

Cattelan is known for transforming absurdity into a mirror of society. His sculptures and installations—from a fallen Pope to a golden toilet—challenge power, religion, and the culture of remembrance. He describes his practice as comic existentialism, a blend of humor and sorrow that invites both laughter and reflection.

The jury—Emma Lavigne, Sam Keller, and Klaus Biesenbach—highlighted Cattelan’s impact on the European art scene. Nearly twenty years ago, he co-curated the 4th Berlin Biennale, helping to secure the city’s place as a center of contemporary art. Two decades later, his upcoming exhibition promises to revisit those ideas through the lens of memory and responsibility in modern Europe.

Since 2006, BMW Group has been the exclusive partner of the award, viewing its cultural engagement as a catalyst for innovation and social change. The collaboration between BMW and Cattelan began in 2016 with the “Spaghetti Car”—a fully electric BMW i3 wrapped in spaghetti-themed foil, created with photographer Pierpaolo Ferrari as a humorous reflection on consumption and sustainability.

Founded by the FREUNDE der Nationalgalerie, the prize celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. From 2026 onward, it will honor international artists whose work has not yet been widely shown in Berlin. Cattelan’s exhibition will inaugurate this new era, bridging the legacy of modernism with the spirit of the 21st century.

Organizers expect the project to become a centerpiece of Berlin Art Week 2026, continuing the award’s tradition of uniting art, society, and critical thought within a single space.