Posted by: Stephen Saban contact

The Marble Index*

The Milan, Italy, city council has extended the installation of a massive sculpture by its most famous artist, Maurizio Cattela, despite protests from some viewers who find the work "disgusting" and "an insult to centuries of Italian art." The statue,  which stands in Piazza d'Affari outside the Milan stock exchange, is named L.O.V.E. aka "The Finger" and depicts what looks very much like Madonna's (the singer not the virgin) veiny hand raising an index finger to Dow Jones. Adding possible insult to injury is the fact that it's sculpted from Carrara marble, the same material used by Michelangelo and Bernini. But while it has its detractors, there are many who would like to see it have a permanent home in the city that also boasts Da Vinci's Last Supper. Among those is the chairman of Milan's culture committee; he'd like it to stay put until the end of next year, then be moved permanently to the city's new museum of modern art. People are strange. (via BBC)

* With apologies to Nico 

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