Pino Boresta: an Outsider Artist's Lament on the Italian Art System
Pino Boresta, a Rome-born artist based in Segni, reflects on his decades-long marginalization by the Italian art establishment. Despite being recognized by some as a pioneer of street art, graffiti, and sticker art, and having won the 1997 'Serial Public' competition with his work 'I Magnifici 65' (a rare blind jury process based solely on quality), Boresta claims he has been systematically ignored. He notes that in 2013, during the 54th Venice Biennale's Spanish Pavilion titled 'L'inadeguato', many of his artist friends were invited while he was excluded. Boresta also laments that experts who have written about street art in books and articles often fail to cite him, even when exhibiting his work. He attributes this not to a conspiracy but to a 'cruel destiny' and criticizes the Italian art system for its superficial promises of change, invoking the Gattopardo principle: 'If we want things to stay as they are, things will have to change.' Boresta's account highlights the persistent exclusion of certain artists from institutional recognition despite their contributions.
Key facts
- Pino Boresta is an artist born in Rome and living in Segni (Rome).
- He won the 1997 'Serial Public' competition with his work 'I Magnifici 65'.
- The 1997 competition used anonymous submissions and a blind jury process.
- In 2013, the Spanish Pavilion of the 54th Venice Biennale was titled 'L'inadeguato'.
- Boresta was not invited to the 2013 Spanish Pavilion, though his friends were.
- He is described as a precursor of street art, pioneer of graffiti, and father of sticker art.
- Boresta claims experts have published books on street art without mentioning him.
- He criticizes the Italian art system for feigning change while maintaining the status quo.
- The article is published on Artribune.
- Boresta cites the Gattopardo principle: 'If we want things to stay as they are, things will have to change.'
Entities
Artists
- Pino Boresta
Institutions
- Artribune
- Venice Biennale
- Spanish Pavilion
Locations
- Rome
- Segni
- Italy
- Venice