Over the weekend, I linked up with Atlas co-conspirator Annetta Black and Boston Field Agent Ronny for an afternoon circling hanging taxidermied horses, a giant skeletal beast named Felix and a statue of a child sized Hitler kneeling in prayer.

The absurd assemblage of strange pieces were all part of the Maurizio Cattelan retrospective on exhibition at the Guggenheim in Manhattan until January 22nd. Every piece the artist ever created is on display, hanging in the museum’s iconic rotunda. 

photo taken on Photosynth by Seth Teicher

True to form, the positioning of the installation was as uncommon as Cattelan’s often satirical and always outrageous art. Instead of being festooned on the walls of the cylindrical, ascending passageways of the museum, it was instead affixed to a sturdy metal truss positioned in the center of the building.

photo taken on Photosynth by Annetta Black

Hanging below the skylight, 128 objects each revealed themselves ever so slowly as we made our way up the circular structure. Taxidermied pigeons perched themselves atop various objects, from a barefoot JFK in an open coffin and a humorous sculpture of Pope John Paul II being struck down by a meteor, to a diorama of teeny tiny elevators opening and closing every few moments.

photo by Seth Teicher

We spent about two hours meandering the surrealistic vista, shaking our heads in approval and laughing out loud at how such an eclectic artist had managed to rise to such prominence.

photo by Annetta Black 

DO IT YOURSELF

The Maurizio Cattelan exhibit runs through January 22, 2012. Details available on the Guggenheim website.

SHOOT IT YOURSELF

The unique panorama shots that you see in this post were taken using the Photosynth app. It gets high marks from the Atlas Obscura team! Download it for free “to capture and view the world in 3D” from the App Store.