alighiero boetti

Alighiero Boetti, Manifesto, 1967, 39 3/8 x 27 1/2 inches, edition of 50, copyright adagp, paris, 2025

ARTE POVERA

Alighiero Boetti (1940–1994) was part of a group of Italian artists called Arte Povera (“Poor Art”) for their use of simple materials, including embroidery, which was his specialty. In 1967, he created Manifesto, a limited-edition poster that recalled the Italian Futurist Manifesto of 1909, listing the names of 16 young Italian artists of his generation, including members of Arte Povera. Each name was associated with logo-like symbols, eight in all, whose codes were deposited with a notary for safekeeping and never released, his message forever hidden.