In my article of the same title, I examine the collective volume Arte Povera. Monument, contre-monument et histoire, edited by Chiara Palermo. My review explores how the Arte Povera movement redefined notions of monumentality and historical memory through subversive artistic practices. Far removed from the grand commemorative architectures of traditional monuments, these artists developed an aesthetic grounded in refusal, displacement, and ephemerality, thereby challenging established relationships between art, power, and historical narrative.
Article reference:
Jessica Ragazzini, (2024), « Arte Povera. Monument, contre-monument et histoire », in Vie des arts, number 275, p.84-86.
Arte Povera and the Symbols of Power
Emerging in Italy during the 1960s, Arte Povera rejected classical monumentality in favour of raw, natural, and reclaimed materials. This approach formed part of a broader critique of the institutionalization of both history and art, in which the traditional monument was understood as a mechanism for legitimizing political and cultural authority.
From Monument to Counter-Monument
Arte Povera proposed an alternative model of remembrance. Rather than fixing history within imposing and permanent structures, the movement emphasized process, interaction, and fragile materiality. Many artists worked with natural elements—earth, wood, fire, and fabric—to create works that transformed over time, highlighting memory as a living, dynamic, and continually evolving phenomenon.
A Contemporary Approach to Memory
The questions raised by Arte Povera: Monument, Counter-Monument and History remain highly relevant today. How can societies commemorate the past without confining history to a single interpretation? What materials, forms, and dispositifs can give expression to a more fluid, plural, and inclusive collective memory? These issues continue to resonate in contemporary artistic and curatorial practices, where the politics of remembrance remains a central concern.