The Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein presents the historic years of the Arte Povera, displaying more than 130 works.

"What is to be done?" asks the large scale Arte Povera exhibition which the Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein has realized for its 10 year anniversary. The exhibition focuses on the time between 1967 and 1972 and includes works by all principal artists of the Arte Povera movement.

The artists of the Arte Povera movement sought to bridge the gap between art and life, expanding consciousness by reducing the distance between the artwork and the spectator. The familiar, ordinary things that we tend to regard as worthless were to be rediscovered as new, art-worthy materials; previously neglected everyday items were to be transformed into meaningful works of art. The new art was to be more simple and more modest in its means, and more authentic in its materials.

In this way, Arte Povera was to open up a poetic and sensual window on the world and the energies behind all that exists, creating metaphors of the life-force that flows from primordial sources – metaphors, above all, of the spiritual energies that seek to change rigid structures. The exhibition centres around the leading topics of the Arte povera: time, the history of the earth, energy and alchemy.

Che fare? Arte Povera – The Historic Years includes works by Giovanni Anselmo, Alighiero Boetti, Pier Paolo Calzolari, Luciano Fabro, Piero Gilardi, Jannis Kounellis, Mario Merz, Marisa Merz, Giulio Paolini, Pino Pascali, Giuseppe Penone, Michelangelo Pistoletto, Emilio Prini, Salvo and Gilberto Zorio. Many of the works shown will be from the collection of the museum. The Arte Povera has been a mainstay of the collection ever since the founding of Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein. These works, more than forty in all, will be shown alongside works from public and private European collections, including some little-known works from the early years.

The exhibition is accompanied by a catalogue in German and English documenting the exhibition and the works presented. The catalogue contains essays by internationally recognised experts, such as Erica Battle, Nike Bätzner, Giorgio Colombo, Maddalena Disch, Doris von Drathen, Ida Gianelli, Piero Gilardi, Ines Goldbach, Antje von Graevenitz, Catherine Grenier, Robin Hemmer, Corrado Levi, Friedemann Malsch, Christiane Meyer-Stoll, Pier Luigi Pero, Valentina Pero, Giorgio Persano, Christian Rattemeyer, Kristin Schmidt, Dieter Schwarz, Denys Zacharopoulos and Ursula Zeller.

The exhibition is produced by Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein, curated by Friedemann Malsch, Christiane Meyer-Stoll and Valentina Pero.

More pictures to this exhibition

  • Che fare?
    Exhibition view Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein, Photo: Stefan Altenburger Photography, Zürich © Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein
  • Che fare?
    Exhibition view Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein, Photo: Stefan Altenburger Photography, Zürich © Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein
  • Che fare?
    Exhibition view Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein, Photo: Stefan Altenburger Photography, Zürich © Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein
  • Che fare?
    Ausstellungsansicht Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein, Foto: Stefan Altenburger Photography, Zürich © Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein
  • Che fare?
    Exhibition view Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein, Photo: Stefan Altenburger Photography, Zürich © Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein
  • Opening
  • Thu, 6.5.2010
    18.00
  • Guided tours
  • Thu, 20.5.2010
    18.00
  • Thu, 10.6.2010
    18.00
  • Thu, 17.6.2010
    18.00
  • Thu, 19.8.2010
    18.00
  • Thu 6.5.

    Opening

    Che fare? Arte Povera
  • Wed 19.5.

    Introduction for Teachers

    Introduction for Teachers: Che fare? - Arte povera
    with Christina Jacoby
  • Thu 20.5.

    Guided tour

    Che fare? Arte Povera - The historic years
    with Christiane Meyer-Stoll
  • Thu 27.5.

    Introduction for Teachers

    Introduction for Teachers: Che fare? - Arte povera
    with Christina Jacoby
  • Thu 10.6.

    Guided tour

    Che fare? Arte Povera - The historic years
    with Denise Rigaud
  • Thu 17.6.

    Guided tour

    Che fare? Arte Povera - The historic years
    with Denise Rigaud
  • Fri 18.6.

    In cooperation with St. Arbogast

    Dialogic tour
    through the exhibition "Che fare? Arte povera - The historic years"
    Registration at the "Bildungshaus St. Arbogast"
  • Sat 26.6.

    10 years Kunstmsueum Liechtenstein

    Festa povera
    In cooperation with the Liechtenstein art society and the Kunstschule Liechtenstein
  • Fri 30.7.

    Concert

    Silver Apples of the Moon
    by Morton Subotnick, Laptop, and Lillevan, Live Visuals,
    in cooperation with "Kunst aus der Zeit", Bregenzer Festspiele
  • Thu 5.8.

    "Art 60 plus"

    Discover the museum
    With Barbara Redmann, museum education officer, CAS
  • Thu 19.8.

    Guided tour

    Che fare? Arte Povera - The historic years
    with Denise Rigaud
  • Thu 26.8.

    Movie

    Il Vangelo secondo Matteo
    by Pier Paolo Pasolini, I/F 1964, 131’
  • Thu 2.9.

    Guided tour and discussion

    The Arte Povera
    with Nike Bätzner, art historian, and Christiane Meyer-Stoll, curator Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein