Arte Povera: the exhibition dedicated to the Italian art movement at the Bourse de Commerce, our photos

Ever heard ofArte Povera? An Italian artistic movement that emerged on the international scene in the 1960s,Arte Povera, also known as " poor art ", is being honored at the Bourse de Commerce. Through a major exhibition, on view from October 9, 2024 to January 20, 2025, the sublime Parisian monument in the heart of the capital intends to retrace the Italian birth of this artistic movement, as well as its international influence.

Artists closely associated with this movement include Giovanni Anselmo, Alighiero Boetti, Pier Paolo Calzolari, Luciano Fabro, Mario Merz, Marisa Merz, Giulio Paolini, Pino Pascali, Giuseppe Penone, Michelangelo Pistoletto, Emilio Prini and Gilberto Zorio. These artists, mainly from Turin, Genoa, Bologna, Milan and Rome, have truly transformed the language of contemporary art by expanding the fields of painting, sculpture, drawing and photography.

From October 9, 2024 to January 20, 2025, the Bourse de Commerce will unveil an impressive selection of major works by these thirteen main protagonists of Arte Povera. The"Arte Povera" exhibition, curated by Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev, a specialist in the art movement, unveils, among other things, the important Arte Povera collection from the Pinault Collection, " in resonance with works from the Castello di Rivoli Museum and the Fondazione per l'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea CRT ". Loans from several other major public and private collections, including those of the Arte Povera artists themselves, are also on display for the occasion.

If you're a fan of Impressionism or Classicism, you'll have to pass. On the other hand, if you're a big fan of contemporary art and want to know more aboutArte Povera, a movement based on empirical thinking and using so-called"poor" materials, then this exhibition may well surprise you!

A total of 250 works can be admired in this major exhibition, designed 100% for the space of the Bourse de Commerce. The poetry and energy of Arte Povera permeate the entire building. And the discovery begins right outside with"Idee di pietra-1532 kg di luce" (in French, "Idées de pierre-1532 kg de lumière"), an imposing work by Giuseppe Penone. Placed in front of the building, this sculpture in bronze and river stone defines one of the major axes of Arte Povera: the fusion of nature and culture.

Before joining the Rotonde and the various galleries of the Bourse de Commerce, we are invited to cross the show floor, where several creations are featured. Among them is"Senza titolo (Materassi)" by Pier Paolo Calzolari. Here, the Italian artist has imagined a series of six mattresses covered with refrigerant tubes, becoming like living beings.

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Then it's on to the sublime and impressive Rotonde to admire a collective installation. Echoing one another, the ensemble showcases the work of thirteen leading artists. These include Giuseppe Penone's first sculpted tree, Mario Merz's first igloo, Pier Paolo Calzolari's first refrigerated sculpture, andAlighiero Boetti's astonishing smoking fountain.

We're off to the Galerie 2 level to learn more about the work of Greek artist Jannis Kounellis, and Italians Marisa Merz and Mario Merz, who have truly helped revolutionize the relationship with materials. The proof is in these creations by Jannis Kounellis using coal, wool and fire. A return to a form of archaic reality.

In Galerie 3, artist Michelangelo Pistoletto plays with images through his " mirror paintings ", in which he inserts human, object or architectural figures in wallpaper or silkscreen.

We climb another floor to reach level 2 of the museum, where major works by Giulio Paolini, Luciano Fabro, Giovanni Anselmo and Pino Pascali are on display. Pascali's"Confluenze" (1967) is a surprising installation in which water is incorporated.

And let's not forget Pier Paolo Calzolari, who transforms the space in gallery 6 into"Casa ideale", a frosty white " ideal house ". And Giuseppe Penone plunges us into the natural processes of tree growth!

Finally, a short tour of the lower level of the Bourse de Commerce is in order. This is where Gilberto Zorio unveils"Confine incandescente" (1970), a work made from metal wire, reddened by the heat of the electricity flowing through it.

Join us at the Bourse de Commerce from October 9, 2024 to January 20, 2025 to discover and admire several of these major works ofArte Povera in Paris!

Bourse de Commerce in Paris: discover this contemporary art center and the Pinault collection
Located in the heart of the capital, in the Halles district, the Bourse de Commerce and the Pinault Collection offer a wonderful stroll through contemporary works of art. Here's everything you need to know before visiting this art center. [Read more]