Charlie don't surf

1997
Maurizio Cattelan

Mixed media
112 x 71 x 70 cm

His hands lie flat on the desk and are nailed to it with pencils. The image evokes the artist’s experience of school, his “training in failure” as opposed to the confidence and engagement he has developed through art. The title, Charlie Don’t Surf, is a famous line from the film Apocalypse Now which one of the characters uses as a battle cry. Charlie was the name used by the Americans to refer to the opposing Vietnamese side during the Vietnam War, and the artist has also often used the name to refer to himself.

© Maurizio Cattelan 2014. Photo : © Fondation Louis Vuitton / Marc Domage © Maurizio Cattelan 2014. Photo : © Fondation Louis Vuitton / Marc Domage

Hangs

Expressionist and contemplative works

From 17 December 2014 to 18 May 2015

Since the early 1990s, Maurizio Cattelan has built his reputation with work that is both spectacular and provocative, combining extreme satire with a streak of melancholy to underline the contradictions of contemporary society.

Cattelan uses the media to situate his work in a socio-political context. Since the start of his career he has represented his withdrawal from an aesthetic territory like an escape from prison. He conceives his works as "images", the most famous of which feature high-profile and controversial figures such as Picasso, Pope Jean-Paul II and Hitler. He has also used animal metaphors to create pieces that represent death and failure. His practice can take various forms: sculpture, the creation of a tiny gallery, the organisation of exhibitions and the publishing of newspapers.

Read more

In the same hang

Zwei Bügelbretter

Zwei Bügelbretter, 2008

Isa Genzken

Bouquet

Bouquet, 2004

Isa Genzken

Paris sans fin

Paris sans fin, 1961

Alberto Giacometti

Majesty

Majesty, 2007

Tacita Dean

Hünengrab

Hünengrab, 2008

Tacita Dean

Torso

Torso, 2013

Wolfgang Tillmans

London Olympics

London Olympics, 2012

Wolfgang Tillmans

Einzelgänger IV

Einzelgänger IV, 2000

Wolfgang Tillmans

Lightning Series I-VII

Lightning Series I-VII, 2007

Tacita Dean

Presentation Windows

Presentation Windows, 2005

Tacita Dean

Trois hommes qui marchent I; Trois hommes qui marchent [grand plateau]

Trois hommes qui marchent I; Trois hommes qui marchent [grand plateau], 1948

Alberto Giacometti

Homme qui pointe

Homme qui pointe, 1951

Alberto Giacometti

Step 2/3

Date and time

Date and times

Hours

Tickets are neither exchangeable nor refundable in accordance with our general conditions of sale

For admission information, click here.

Visitors are invited to leave the galleries 15 minutes before the effective closing time of the Fondation.

For security reasons, liquids are not allowed within the building (bottles and others).

If you have any questions, you can contact us by calling +33 1 40 69 96 00 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., from monday to saturday.

My subscription My renewal

Individual ticket for all open spaces and the Jardin d’Acclimatation.

Already a member?
Renew your subscription

Civility*

First name*

Last name*

Birthday*

Address*

City*

Zipcode*

Phone*

E-mail*

Need help?
Call 01 40 69 96 00 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., every day except Sunday

Tickets

Tickets are neither exchangeable nor refundable in accordance with our general conditions of sale

For admission information, click here.

Visitors are invited to leave the galleries 15 minutes before the effective closing time of the Fondation.

For security reasons, liquids are not allowed within the building (bottles and others).

If you have any questions, you can contact us by calling +33 1 40 69 96 00 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., from monday to saturday.

Payment

By proceeding with the payment, you accept the general sales conditions and the handling of the below data by Fondation Louis Vuitton

Pay by card

Last name*

First name*

E-mail*

I would like to receive news and information on upcoming events organized by the Fondation Louis Vuitton

Tickets are neither exchangeable nor refundable in accordance with our general conditions of sale

For admission information, click here.

Visitors are invited to leave the galleries 15 minutes before the effective closing time of the Fondation.

For security reasons, liquids are not allowed within the building (bottles and others).

If you have any questions, you can contact us by calling +33 1 40 69 96 00 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., from monday to saturday.

Tickets are neither exchangeable nor refundable in accordance with our general conditions of sale

For admission information, click here.

Visitors are invited to leave the galleries 15 minutes before the effective closing time of the Fondation.

For security reasons, liquids are not allowed within the building (bottles and others).

If you have any questions, you can contact us by calling +33 1 40 69 96 00 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., from monday to saturday.

Already a member?
Renew your subscription

Need help?
Call 01 40 69 96 00 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., every day except Sunday