Alighiero Boetti Italian, 1940-1994
AELLEIGIACCAIEERREOBIOETITII, 1973
Ballpoint pen on paper laid down on canvas
70 x 100 cm. (27 1/2 x 39 3/8 in.)
Copyright The Artist
Further images
Aelleigiaccaieerreobioetitii was executed in 1973 and stands as one of the earliest and most compelling examples of Alighiero Boetti’s celebrated Biro works, a series initiated by the artist in 1972....
Aelleigiaccaieerreobioetitii was executed in 1973 and stands as one of the earliest and most compelling examples of Alighiero Boetti’s celebrated Biro works, a series initiated by the artist in 1972. A masterful exercise in both visual and conceptual intrigue, the present work encapsulates Boetti’s lifelong fascination with language, perception, and systems of order and disorder. Notably, the present work was included in the seminal retrospective Alighiero Boetti: Game Plan, exhibited at the Tate Modern, London, and the Museo Reina Sofía, Madrid.
At first glance, the string of letters inscribed across the top of the composition appears as an abstract and nonsensical arrangement. Yet, upon closer inspection, it reveals itself as a phonetic transcription of the artist’s own name – deconstructed and reassembled according to the logic of sound rather than traditional spelling. This linguistic playfulness is characteristic of Boetti’s approach, wherein he subverts conventional structures to encourage alternative modes of perception. The English-language equivalent of this transliteration might read A E ELL I GEE AITCH I E AR O, mirroring the cadence and phonetics of the Italian pronunciation.
The execution of the work itself further reinforces Boetti’s conceptual concerns. The letters at the top are carefully delineated, while the background is meticulously filled with layers of blue ballpoint ink applied by his studio assistants. Through a labour-intensive process of repetitive hatching, the ink creates a richly textured and undulating tonal field, a hallmark of Boetti’s Biro series. The subtle variations in pressure and density within the inked surface imbue the work with a hypnotic dynamism, elevating the seemingly mechanical process into one of poetic beauty.
Boetti’s preoccupation with language is central to his artistic practice, and Aelleigiaccaieerreobioetitii is a striking example of how he manipulates letters to generate new forms of meaning. By fragmenting and reordering the letters of his own name, Boetti forces us to reconsider the mechanisms of language – how it is constructed, understood, and vocalised. He introduces an element of disorder into a system that ordinarily conveys clarity, highlighting the fluidity of interpretation and the ways in which familiar symbols can be transformed into something unexpected. This engagement with the duality of ordine e disordine (order and disorder) is a defining principle of Boetti’s oeuvre, a conceptual framework that recurs throughout his diverse body of work.
Adding another layer of complexity is the paradox of authorship: while the work bears Boetti’s name – both as subject and as signifier – he did not physically execute it himself. Instead, the background’s meticulous biro work was delegated to his assistants, a practice that underscores his engagement with ideas of authorship, collaboration, and mechanical repetition. In this sense, Aelleigiaccaieerreobioetitii is a self-referential meditation on identity and artistic creation, simultaneously affirming and dissolving the presence of the artist within the work.
Imbued with wit, intellectual depth, and an exquisite sense of materiality, Aelleigiaccaieerreobioetitii exemplifies Boetti’s radical approach to artmaking. It is a work that challenges perception, redefines language, and encapsulates the artist’s enduring preoccupation with the poetic possibilities of structure and chance.
At first glance, the string of letters inscribed across the top of the composition appears as an abstract and nonsensical arrangement. Yet, upon closer inspection, it reveals itself as a phonetic transcription of the artist’s own name – deconstructed and reassembled according to the logic of sound rather than traditional spelling. This linguistic playfulness is characteristic of Boetti’s approach, wherein he subverts conventional structures to encourage alternative modes of perception. The English-language equivalent of this transliteration might read A E ELL I GEE AITCH I E AR O, mirroring the cadence and phonetics of the Italian pronunciation.
The execution of the work itself further reinforces Boetti’s conceptual concerns. The letters at the top are carefully delineated, while the background is meticulously filled with layers of blue ballpoint ink applied by his studio assistants. Through a labour-intensive process of repetitive hatching, the ink creates a richly textured and undulating tonal field, a hallmark of Boetti’s Biro series. The subtle variations in pressure and density within the inked surface imbue the work with a hypnotic dynamism, elevating the seemingly mechanical process into one of poetic beauty.
Boetti’s preoccupation with language is central to his artistic practice, and Aelleigiaccaieerreobioetitii is a striking example of how he manipulates letters to generate new forms of meaning. By fragmenting and reordering the letters of his own name, Boetti forces us to reconsider the mechanisms of language – how it is constructed, understood, and vocalised. He introduces an element of disorder into a system that ordinarily conveys clarity, highlighting the fluidity of interpretation and the ways in which familiar symbols can be transformed into something unexpected. This engagement with the duality of ordine e disordine (order and disorder) is a defining principle of Boetti’s oeuvre, a conceptual framework that recurs throughout his diverse body of work.
Adding another layer of complexity is the paradox of authorship: while the work bears Boetti’s name – both as subject and as signifier – he did not physically execute it himself. Instead, the background’s meticulous biro work was delegated to his assistants, a practice that underscores his engagement with ideas of authorship, collaboration, and mechanical repetition. In this sense, Aelleigiaccaieerreobioetitii is a self-referential meditation on identity and artistic creation, simultaneously affirming and dissolving the presence of the artist within the work.
Imbued with wit, intellectual depth, and an exquisite sense of materiality, Aelleigiaccaieerreobioetitii exemplifies Boetti’s radical approach to artmaking. It is a work that challenges perception, redefines language, and encapsulates the artist’s enduring preoccupation with the poetic possibilities of structure and chance.