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Lot Essay
‘The greatest joy on earth consists in inventing the world the way it is without inventing anything in the process’ (A. Boetti)
Christie’s is delighted to present an outstanding selection of works by Alighiero Boetti from an important private Roman collection. Spread across Post-War and Contemporary Art auctions in London, Amsterdam, Milan and Paris throughout 2016 and 2017, the works boast an exceptional provenance: acquired directly from the artist by one of his most trusted assistants, they have remained in the same private hands since their creation. Initially employed by Boetti to work on his celebrated biro series, the collector cultivated a close relationship with the artist, and over the course of twenty years assembled a carefully-curated selection of works spanning three decades of his oeuvre. The group presented for auction in First Open London this April includes superb examples of his iconic Arazzi, as well as an assortment of works on paper from 1978-81. Together, they offer a snapshot of a vast multi-media practice, whose interrogation of linguistic, cultural and temporal dualities was truly global in its reach. Christie’s is honoured to be offering these works at auction for the first time.
This rich, dynamic collection was forged in the intensely creative atmosphere of the artist’s studio in Trastevere, the artistic heartland of Rome, where Boetti’s assistants would congregate to see and speak with the artist. Agata Boetti, the artist’s daughter, recalls the heady atmosphere of the studio in her memoir: ‘The studio was a very open-minded space, you could come in without any notice and stay as long as you wanted depending on the atmosphere and Alighiero’s mood. He famously disliked the trendy, mundane Roman parties. He rarely used to leave his studio, if you wanted to see him, you had to go there … Assistants came and consigned the completed works, or stayed and worked there to breathe that unusual creative’ (A. Boetti, Agata Boetti: Il gioco dell’arte, Milan 2016, p. 46). In this extraordinarily free and engaging artistic environment, Boetti’s assistants were exposed to all aspects of his multi-faceted output, witnessing the artist’s creative impulse as it manifested itself in each of its various forms. This remarkable first-hand experience granted the collector a unique understanding of Boetti’s working practice, allowing them to build a collection that provides an intimate insight into the artist’s dynamic oeuvre.
Christie’s is delighted to present an outstanding selection of works by Alighiero Boetti from an important private Roman collection. Spread across Post-War and Contemporary Art auctions in London, Amsterdam, Milan and Paris throughout 2016 and 2017, the works boast an exceptional provenance: acquired directly from the artist by one of his most trusted assistants, they have remained in the same private hands since their creation. Initially employed by Boetti to work on his celebrated biro series, the collector cultivated a close relationship with the artist, and over the course of twenty years assembled a carefully-curated selection of works spanning three decades of his oeuvre. The group presented for auction in First Open London this April includes superb examples of his iconic Arazzi, as well as an assortment of works on paper from 1978-81. Together, they offer a snapshot of a vast multi-media practice, whose interrogation of linguistic, cultural and temporal dualities was truly global in its reach. Christie’s is honoured to be offering these works at auction for the first time.
This rich, dynamic collection was forged in the intensely creative atmosphere of the artist’s studio in Trastevere, the artistic heartland of Rome, where Boetti’s assistants would congregate to see and speak with the artist. Agata Boetti, the artist’s daughter, recalls the heady atmosphere of the studio in her memoir: ‘The studio was a very open-minded space, you could come in without any notice and stay as long as you wanted depending on the atmosphere and Alighiero’s mood. He famously disliked the trendy, mundane Roman parties. He rarely used to leave his studio, if you wanted to see him, you had to go there … Assistants came and consigned the completed works, or stayed and worked there to breathe that unusual creative’ (A. Boetti, Agata Boetti: Il gioco dell’arte, Milan 2016, p. 46). In this extraordinarily free and engaging artistic environment, Boetti’s assistants were exposed to all aspects of his multi-faceted output, witnessing the artist’s creative impulse as it manifested itself in each of its various forms. This remarkable first-hand experience granted the collector a unique understanding of Boetti’s working practice, allowing them to build a collection that provides an intimate insight into the artist’s dynamic oeuvre.