Pino Boresta's Napkin Paintings from London Restaurants Exhibited in Rome

Pino Boresta, a Roman artist born in 1962, is known for his irreverent and irregular profile, often calling himself an 'outsider among outsiders.' Despite his marginality in the mainstream art world, he pioneered street art with adhesive 'smorfie' (grimaces) that have adorned urban landscapes for over 25 years, and his actions are inspired by situationist performances. A six-episode exhibition series titled 'Il Boresta che non ti aspetti' runs until November 30, 2021, at Micro Arti Visive in Rome, curated by Raffaele Gavarro. The first episode, 'Boresta a servizio,' until March 31, features napkins painted in London in 1988. In the late 1980s, Boresta lived in London, worked in a restaurant, and taught himself painting using napkins he stole from restaurants. These napkin-paintings, titled 'Fronte retro,' are painted on one side and retain biological traces on the other.