Alighiero Boetti Italian, 1940-1994
Vedere i Laterali, c. 1977
Ballpoint pen on paper laid down on canvas
3 parts, 101 x 71 cm. (39 3/4 x 28 in.) each / 101 x 213 cm. (39 3/4 x 83 7/8 in.) total
Copyright The Artist
Further images
“Vedere i Laterali is a striking early example of Alighiero Boetti’s Biro series. It is a beguilingly intricate monochrome work consisting of three panels, a diptych, the alphabet running down...
“Vedere i Laterali is a striking early example of Alighiero Boetti’s Biro series. It is a beguilingly intricate monochrome work consisting of three panels, a diptych, the alphabet running down the left-hand side with comma marks peppered throughout the picture plane. A seemingly arbitrary configuration of punctuation marks, this work has a cryptic message that can actually be decoded by reading left to right corresponding the marks to the letter they align with, referring to the alphabet sequence on the left-hand side. In this case, the work can be deciphered to reflect the title Vedere i Laterali, which translates to ‘Viewing the Sides.’” - Giorgio Verzotti, Alighiero Boetti quasi tutto, exh. cat, GAM Bergamo, 2004, p. 67
Alighiero Boetti's Vedere i Laterali (1977) is a captivating and complex work that exemplifies his exploration of language, labour, and systems of order. Rendered in three panels, this piece forms part of Boetti’s celebrated Biro series, a body of work initiated in 1972, in which he created using humble, everyday materials – biro ballpoint pens. The tactile quality of the work, despite its flatness, invites the viewer to engage with the surface on an intimate level, much like a tapestry or textile, while also challenging perceptions of authorship and artistic labour.
Boetti, a key figure in Italy's Arte Povera movement, was known for his fascination with systems, patterns, and the collective versus the individual. The Biro series represents a compelling example of this ethos. In Vedere i Laterali, Boetti enlisted the help of assistants to painstakingly fill the paper with thousands of pen marks, turning the act of drawing into a mechanical process that blurs the line between artist and artisan. Each mark made with the ballpoint pen, an inexpensive and ubiquitous tool of the everyday, becomes part of a grander visual structure, contributing to an intricate visual language.
At first glance, Vedere i Laterali may seem like an abstract, minimalist composition, its surface vibrating with minute pen strokes that create an illusion of texture. The rhythmic repetition of commas, however, hints at deeper layers of meaning beneath the seemingly arbitrary arrangement. The key lies in Boetti’s signature use of coded language: the punctuations, aligned with the alphabet running down the left-hand side, can be deciphered to reveal the titular phrase. This playful yet cerebral game with the viewer evokes themes of communication and miscommunication – Boetti invites the spectator to ‘see the sides,’ to decode the lateral margins of perception itself.
This conceptual approach to image-making can be linked to the artist’s broader interest in classification systems. Like his works with maps and postal routes, Boetti sought to impose structure on chaotic elements, whether through language, symbols, or geographic borders. By filling the entire picture plane with dense biro marks, Boetti mirrors the infinite potential of language and, by extension, the act of creation. The monochromatic palette also serves as a means to focus the viewer’s attention on the meticulous process rather than overt colour symbolism.
Boetti’s decision to involve assistants in the creation of the Biro works was a radical gesture that challenged the traditional role of the artist as a solitary creator. This communal method of production parallels his famous embroidery works, which were often completed by Afghan artisans. In both cases, Boetti decentralises the act of making, suggesting that the value of a work of art lies not just in its materiality, but in the collective effort behind it.
The analogy between biro and embroidery becomes particularly poignant when viewed through the lens of cultural symbolism. In Afghanistan, where Boetti spent considerable time, embroidery is a communal craft with deep cultural resonance. For the artist, the ballpoint pen functioned as an analogous tool in the West – a mundane, ubiquitous object that, when elevated through the creative process, becomes a means of expressing collective identity. The biro, much like the needle and thread of Afghan tapestries, holds within it a rich history of shared experience and memory.
Boetti’s work is often discussed in terms of its conceptual rigour, and Vedere i Laterali is no exception. The work encapsulates the artist’s interest in the paradox of creating meaning through a system that appears meaningless at first glance. The interplay between the visible and the hidden, the literal and the figurative, makes Vedere i Laterali not just a work of visual art, but a meditative exercise on the nature of language, communication, and perception.
Moreover, this work embodies the Arte Povera movement’s ethos of elevating the commonplace. By using the biro, a tool normally associated with the mundane act of writing lists or notes, Boetti transforms an everyday object into a medium for high art. The deliberate, methodical application of marks across the paper evokes a sense of timelessness and endurance, a quiet yet monumental testament to human persistence and creativity.
Alighiero Boetti’s Vedere i Laterali stands as a masterful example of the artist’s unique ability to fuse concept and material into an intellectually and aesthetically compelling form. The work draws viewers into a hypnotic visual field while simultaneously engaging them in a process of decoding and interpretation. Like the best of Boetti’s oeuvre, it reflects his ongoing interrogation of order, authorship, and the role of the artist within a broader, collective framework.
In Vedere i Laterali, we see the full force of Boetti’s artistic vision: a seemingly simple surface that invites deeper investigation, revealing a rich tapestry of meaning beneath. The interplay between material, language, and viewer is characteristic of his approach, rendering this work a key piece within his celebrated Biro series and a testament to his enduring influence on conceptual art.
Alighiero Boetti's Vedere i Laterali (1977) is a captivating and complex work that exemplifies his exploration of language, labour, and systems of order. Rendered in three panels, this piece forms part of Boetti’s celebrated Biro series, a body of work initiated in 1972, in which he created using humble, everyday materials – biro ballpoint pens. The tactile quality of the work, despite its flatness, invites the viewer to engage with the surface on an intimate level, much like a tapestry or textile, while also challenging perceptions of authorship and artistic labour.
Boetti, a key figure in Italy's Arte Povera movement, was known for his fascination with systems, patterns, and the collective versus the individual. The Biro series represents a compelling example of this ethos. In Vedere i Laterali, Boetti enlisted the help of assistants to painstakingly fill the paper with thousands of pen marks, turning the act of drawing into a mechanical process that blurs the line between artist and artisan. Each mark made with the ballpoint pen, an inexpensive and ubiquitous tool of the everyday, becomes part of a grander visual structure, contributing to an intricate visual language.
At first glance, Vedere i Laterali may seem like an abstract, minimalist composition, its surface vibrating with minute pen strokes that create an illusion of texture. The rhythmic repetition of commas, however, hints at deeper layers of meaning beneath the seemingly arbitrary arrangement. The key lies in Boetti’s signature use of coded language: the punctuations, aligned with the alphabet running down the left-hand side, can be deciphered to reveal the titular phrase. This playful yet cerebral game with the viewer evokes themes of communication and miscommunication – Boetti invites the spectator to ‘see the sides,’ to decode the lateral margins of perception itself.
This conceptual approach to image-making can be linked to the artist’s broader interest in classification systems. Like his works with maps and postal routes, Boetti sought to impose structure on chaotic elements, whether through language, symbols, or geographic borders. By filling the entire picture plane with dense biro marks, Boetti mirrors the infinite potential of language and, by extension, the act of creation. The monochromatic palette also serves as a means to focus the viewer’s attention on the meticulous process rather than overt colour symbolism.
Boetti’s decision to involve assistants in the creation of the Biro works was a radical gesture that challenged the traditional role of the artist as a solitary creator. This communal method of production parallels his famous embroidery works, which were often completed by Afghan artisans. In both cases, Boetti decentralises the act of making, suggesting that the value of a work of art lies not just in its materiality, but in the collective effort behind it.
The analogy between biro and embroidery becomes particularly poignant when viewed through the lens of cultural symbolism. In Afghanistan, where Boetti spent considerable time, embroidery is a communal craft with deep cultural resonance. For the artist, the ballpoint pen functioned as an analogous tool in the West – a mundane, ubiquitous object that, when elevated through the creative process, becomes a means of expressing collective identity. The biro, much like the needle and thread of Afghan tapestries, holds within it a rich history of shared experience and memory.
Boetti’s work is often discussed in terms of its conceptual rigour, and Vedere i Laterali is no exception. The work encapsulates the artist’s interest in the paradox of creating meaning through a system that appears meaningless at first glance. The interplay between the visible and the hidden, the literal and the figurative, makes Vedere i Laterali not just a work of visual art, but a meditative exercise on the nature of language, communication, and perception.
Moreover, this work embodies the Arte Povera movement’s ethos of elevating the commonplace. By using the biro, a tool normally associated with the mundane act of writing lists or notes, Boetti transforms an everyday object into a medium for high art. The deliberate, methodical application of marks across the paper evokes a sense of timelessness and endurance, a quiet yet monumental testament to human persistence and creativity.
Alighiero Boetti’s Vedere i Laterali stands as a masterful example of the artist’s unique ability to fuse concept and material into an intellectually and aesthetically compelling form. The work draws viewers into a hypnotic visual field while simultaneously engaging them in a process of decoding and interpretation. Like the best of Boetti’s oeuvre, it reflects his ongoing interrogation of order, authorship, and the role of the artist within a broader, collective framework.
In Vedere i Laterali, we see the full force of Boetti’s artistic vision: a seemingly simple surface that invites deeper investigation, revealing a rich tapestry of meaning beneath. The interplay between material, language, and viewer is characteristic of his approach, rendering this work a key piece within his celebrated Biro series and a testament to his enduring influence on conceptual art.