One of the most influential Italian artists of the twentieth century, Alighiero Boetti (1940-1994) is subject of a major exhibition at MoMA (New York, USA). This retrospective has been organized in collaboration with the Museo Reina Sofía in Madrid and the Tate Modern in London. Alighiero Boetti: Game Plan is the first large-scale retrospective of Boetti's work to be held outside Italy in over a decade highlighting his often playful exploration of numeric, linguistic and classificatory systems, as well as his engagement with the people and politics of Afghanistan.
Boetti has most commonly been associated with the Italian Arte Povera artists of the late 1960s. While this exhibition begins with his Arte Povera objects made from everyday materials, including Stack 1966 and Little Coloured Sticks 1968, it also reveals his early scepticism about art movements through such works as his mock Manifesto 1967.
In the late 1960s Boetti began to explore the figure of the artist, showing how it embodied the dual roles of divine shaman and public showman. He went on to represent himself as a pair of twins and change his name to Alighiero E Boetti (Alighiero and Boetti). Alongside these early self portraits, the exhibition will also include the late Self-Portrait 1993, a life-size bronze cast of the artist spraying his head with a hose, never seen before in the UK.
Dates: from July 1 to October 1.
Location: Tate Modern. Bankside. Londres SE1 9TG. United Kingdom.
Opening hours: from Sunday to Thursday from 10am to 6pm. Fridays and Saturdays from 10am to 10pm.
See some of the artworks in the following slideshow: