Alighiero Boetti, arazzi2019

Oiginally a member of the Arte Povera movement, Italian artist Alighiero Boetti (1940-1994) soon went his own way. From the 1970s he became famous for his whimsical, colourful embroideries which he had made in Afghanistan. The works appear to express a mysterious system featuring series of numbers, letter and word play, and maps. Thanks to a large donation of these arazzi (as they are known) from the period 1979-1993 by former gallery owner and collector Tanya Rumpff, the Gemeentemuseum now has a magnificent selection of Boetti's versatile body of work. The new acquisitions will be on display in the Projects Gallery.