Maker/Artist
Boetti, Alighiero
Italian conceptual artist and writer, 1940-1994
Boetti participated in many of the Arte Povera exhibitions and Happenings, including the first exhibition ("Arte povera-Im spazio") in 1967. Known for rejecting the strategies and materials of 'high art' and instead employing common materials such as cement, cardboard, and electric lights and a variety of techniques such as photography, embroidery, and sculptural construction. His travels had a lasting impact on his work, e.g. the "Mappa" series of the 1970s for which he collaborated with craftspeople in Pakistan and Afghanistan. "The 1000 Longest Rivers of the World" (1970-1977) was one of numerous alphabetical or sequential pieces that explored esoteric signs and language. A major retrospective exhibition was held in Turin in 1996. He took "e" as his middle name to suggest two people.
