Description of the Work: "Pio through the Seas and Mountains, 1980s"
Alighiero Boetti: Pio through seas and mountains, Microcosm embroidered between order and disorder
"Pio per mari e per monti" is a small and significant work by Alighiero Boetti, created in the 1980s using the embroidered tapestry technique on canvas, measuring 17 x 17 cm.
This type of work, where the artist delegated the physical execution to Afghan embroiderers (or, in this case, in Pakistan after the Soviet invasion), is central to his oeuvre. Boetti, a key figure in Arte Povera and later Conceptual Art, used embroidery to explore concepts of duality (order/disorder, self/other), time, and geography.
The title is a phrase that reflects the artist's language and poetics, often playing on popular expressions or mottos. Despite its small size, the work is a microcosm of his research, condensing his investigations into system, color, and writing. The work is archived at the Alighiero Boetti Archive.
Alighiero Boetti: Pio per mari e per monti (1980s). Embroidered tapestry on canvas, 17 x 17 cm. Key work in Conceptual/Povera Art. Officially archived.
