Tornabuoni Art Florence presents the exhibition Arte povera: the beauty of essence, a tribute to the movement theorized by art critic Germano Celant, which profoundly marked the art of the second half of the 20th century. The project brings together historical masterpieces by its leading figures, including Alighiero Boetti, Pier Paolo Calzolari, Jannis Kounellis, Mario Merz, Giulio Paolini, Pino Pascali, Michelangelo Pistoletto, and Gilberto Zorio.

The “poverist” artwork is characterized, from an organic and physical perspective, by the simultaneous presence of emptiness and wholeness, as highlighted by Bruno Corà, art critic and president of the Fondazione Alberto Burri, in his contribution to the publication produced for the occasion (2024, Forma Edizioni). It is an “open work” that leaves room for the viewer’s intervention, contributing to the definition and completion of its aesthetic message, as seen in the work of Pino Pascali, Michelangelo Pistoletto, and other artists showcased on this occasion.

A visual language that is both heterogeneous and inclusive, protest-driven and poetic, it anticipated some of the most pressing issues of our time—such as the notion of fine arts, ecology, and colonialism—and continues to have a significant impact on contemporary artistic creation.