Military tags by Maurizio Cattelan | Two Words One Finger, 2021

In occasion of the solo exhibition “Breath Ghosts Blind” at Pirelli HangarBicocca, Maurizio Cattelan has created a limited number of army identity tags, commonly known as “dog tags”. These wearable objects belong to the military field, as they are used for the identification of soldiers. In this case, however, instead of the name and personal details, the artist engraved on them 20 expressions or mottos, often in a provoking and irreverent tone. The tags may be considered as a kind of mantra or talisman to carry. With these “pendants,” Cattelan transforms the original use and meaning of army dog tags, furthering his reflections on identity, an aspect that recurs throughout his artistic career.