Definition & Meaning of "arte povera"

What is "Arte Povera"?

Arte Povera was an art movement that started in Italy in the late 1960s. The term "Arte Povera" means "Poor Art" in Italian, and it represents the movement’s focus on using simple, everyday materials like wood, metal, and fabric to create art. Key figures in the movement included artists like Michelangelo Pistoletto and Jannis Kounellis. Arte Povera aimed to challenge the traditional use of materials in art by emphasizing the basic, natural quality of these objects. The movement aimed to move away from the profit-oriented and formal aspects of modern art, focusing instead on the process and the material itself. By using simple and everyday objects, Arte Povera artists emphasized the basic value of these materials and encouraged people to think about the role of these materials in both art and everyday life.