Arte Povera: Origins, Key Figures, and Philosophy of the Italian Movement
So, the term Arte Povera was first coined by Italian critic Germano Celant back in 1967, and this artistic movement really took off in northern Italy from then until 1972, especially in cities like Turin, Rome, and Milan. Celant launched the movement with his key exhibition called 'Im Spazio' at Galleria La Bertesca in 1967. This style pushed against traditional art by using 'poor' materials to express thoughts on urbanization and the art market. Influenced by Lucio Fontana, notable artists included Giovanni Anselmo, Alighiero Boetti, and others. Some standout works are Anselmo's 'Scultura che mangia' from 1968 and Pistoletto's 'Venus of the Rags' from 1967. In 2017, Marisa Merz, at the age of 90, had her first solo show at the Met Breuer.
Key facts
- Term 'Arte Povera' coined by Germano Celant in 1967.
- Manifesto published in Flash Art in 1967.
- Movement active 1967–1972 in Turin, Rome, Genoa, Venice, Bologna, Milan.
- First exhibition 'Im Spazio' at Galleria La Bertesca, Genoa (1967–1968).
- Key influence: Lucio Fontana's monochrome cuts.
- Materials: soil, wood, iron, rags, plastic, industrial waste.
- Marisa Merz first solo museum exhibition at Met Breuer in 2017.
- Boetti's 'Lampada Annuale' lights for 11 seconds each year.
Entities
Artists
- Germano Celant
- Lucio Fontana
- Giovanni Anselmo
- Alighiero Boetti
- Pier Paolo Calzolari
- Jannis Kounellis
- Mario Merz
- Marisa Merz
- Pino Pascali
- Giuseppe Penone
- Michelangelo Pistoletto
- Giulio Paolini
- Gilberto Zorio
- Francesco Vezzoli
- Maurizio Cattelan
- Joseph Beuys
Institutions
- Flash Art
- Galleria La Bertesca
- Tate Modern
- Museo Reina Sofia
- Pirelli Hangar Bicocca
- Galleria Christian Stein
- Sonnabend Collection
- Simon Lee Gallery
- Art Gallery of New South Wales
- Monsoon Art Collection
- The Museum of Modern Art
- Christie's
- Studio la città
- Art Basel
- Marian Goodman Gallery
- Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art
- ARTIST ROOMS Tate and National Galleries of Scotland
- Museo del Novecento
- Arte Fiera
- Galleria L'Attico
- Met Breuer
- Art Gallery of Ontario
- Yorkshire Sculpture Park
- Gagosian
- DailyArt Magazine
Locations
- Turin
- Italy
- Rome
- Genoa
- Venice
- Bologna
- Milan
- London
- UK
- Grenoble
- France
- Madrid
- Spain
- New York City
- NY
- USA
- Paris
- Verona
- Helsinki
- Finland
- Sydney
- Australia
- West Bretton
- Canada
- Zurich
- Switzerland