500 - BOETTI, ALIGHIERO

BOETTI, ALIGHIERO 1940 Turin–1994 Rome Title: "I fregi e gli sfregi". Date: 1989. Technique: Embroidery on cloth. Mounting: Mounted on a wooden board. Edges relined. Dimensions: 21 x 23 cm. Inscription: Signed on the reverse of the fabric overlay: alighiero e boetti. A certificate from the Archivio Alighiero Boetti, Rome, dated July 7, 2026, is available for this work. The work is registered there under number 10881. Provenance: - Confini Arte Contemporanea, Cuneo (stamp) - Galeria Mastrogicomo, Padua (stamp) - Private collection, Southern Germany - By the renowned Italian conceptual artist and leading figure of the Arte Povera movement - Poetry, typography, color, and craftsmanship come together in this small-scale work to great effect - The embroidered images, created in Afghanistan and Pakistan, bridge the conceptual worlds of Eastern and Western cultures - The Dia Art Foundation in Beacon, NY, has dedicated a comprehensive permanent exhibition to the artist since June 2026 Alighiero Boetti, the son of a lawyer and a musician, grew up in Turin. He dropped out of his economics studies and, as a self-taught artist, found his form of expression in art. By the mid-1960s, critics had taken notice of the artist, and in 1967, Alighiero Boetti’s first solo exhibition took place in Turin. That same year, he was one of six Italian artists exhibiting at the Galleria da Bertesca in Genoa. They used everyday materials and found objects. In connection with this exhibition, the critic and curator Germano Celant coined the term “Arte Povera.” A movement was born. Alighiero Boetti’s works became increasingly conceptual and serial. In the early 1970s, he traveled extensively outside Europe, driven by a desire to learn about non-Western cultures. His connection to Afghanistan grew particularly strong; there, he has been collaborating with the Royal School of Embroidery in Kabul since 1971. A year later, the first letter-based images he designed—the so-called “arazzi”—were also embroidered there. Alighiero Boetti’s philosophical interest lies in the polarities he explores artistically: order and chaos, the individual and society, chance and system, time and space. Yet it is not the rigid opposition but rather the “both-and” that defines the dynamism of his work. In 1973, the artist permanently changed his name: “Alighiero e Boetti” now linguistically embodies the idea of a dual existence. His incredible wealth of ideas, his ability to infuse conceptual art with sensuality, and the humor that always accompanies his works have made him famous. His break from the system of Western-dominated art production and reception makes Alighiero e Boetti a visionary today. Four by four letters, each in a bold color, each high-contrast within a differently colored square; the sixteen squares, like a tiled image or a mosaic, are in turn arranged in a square. Unmistakable, unmistakable: Alighiero e Boetti conceived this work and conveyed a message. Read from top to bottom and from left to right: “I FREGI E GLI SFREGI” can be deciphered. A pair of opposites imbued with many meanings: “ornaments and defacements” or “adornments and injuries,” “honors and marks of shame.” Alighiero e Boetti has had this “arazzo” design produced since 1984. For that is part of the concept: The idea—including the lettering design—comes from Italy, while the artist leaves the execution and color selection to the seamstresses. Thus, every “arazzo” is one-of-a-kind, even though the text is identical across many copies. Literally, “arazzo” means tapestry, but metaphorically it also refers to a web of meanings—a description that perfectly captures Alighiero e Boetti’s works. Estimated shipping costs for this lot: This lot is not suitable for parcel shipping. Transport is available only through a shipping company after consultation following the auction. Additional shipping insurance Shipping insurance up to a total invoice amount of 25,000 euros: max. 41.65 euros For a total invoice amount exceeding 25,000 Euros: 1.8 per thousand Shipping to the U.S. by individual arrangement after the auction. #Alighiero Boetti #Arte Povera #Conceptual Art #Minimalism #Italy #Post-War Art #1980s #Post War. In accordance with §26 UrhG (German Copyright Act), VAN HAM is obligated to pay a statutory resale royalty on the sale proceeds of all original works of fine art and photography whose authors have not been deceased for 70 years prior to the end of the calendar year of the sale. The buyer shall contribute 1.5% of the hammer price toward this fee.