L.O.V.E., Milan

L.O.V.E. is Maurizio Cattelan’s monumental marble hand, with every finger cut away except the raised middle finger. The sculpture was made in 2010 and stands in Piazza degli Affari, Milan’s financial square.

The title draws on a quartet of Italian terms; together they signify freedom, hatred, revenge, and eternity. Cattelan has never given a definitive explanation. The main readings connect the mutilated gesture with both a distorted Fascist salute and a criticism of financial institutions after the 2008 crisis.

Inaugurated on 24 September 2010, the work was intended to remain for only a week after its exhibition at the Royal Palace. Cattelan then offered it to Milan, and despite opposition from parts of the financial community, it became a permanent presence between 2011 and 2012.