Arte Povera literally means “Poor Art”, art made with poor everyday materials—art in which the histories, identities, and trajectories of quotidian life challenge the purity and utopian ideals of the gallery space. In the hands of artists like Marisa Merz, Jannis Kounellis, Pino Pascali, or Michelangelo Pistoletto the irreverent materiality and textures of natural and man-made objects embody political statements challenging past and present cultural values.

This lecture explores Arte Povera’s complex relationship with materiality and its persistent influence in contemporary art. This is the second in a series of three lectures to explore the key artists and major innovations introduced by Arte Povera.