A Third‐worldist Art? Germano Celant's Invention of Arte Povera

Today, arte povera works are housed in museums all over the world. This art movement is regarded as one of Italy's most signifi cant contributions to twentiethcentury art. While stressing its 'Italianness', however, most commentators neglect to discuss the specifi cs of the Italian political context in which Germano Celant devised the notion of arte povera in 1967. Highlighting the distinction between arte povera as an art movement and arte povera as a critical category, this essay focuses on the latter, providing an in-depth examination of Celant's texts within the framework of the social and political turmoil of 1967-68. The concept of arte povera was inextricably linked to the student protests and to the political left. Amongst arte povera's multifaceted connotations, those evoking Vietnam and the thirdworldist movement were crucial to the success of Celant's theories. The study of his approach, paired with that of the arte povera artist Piero Gilardi, offers paradigmatic examples of both the risks and necessity of interweaving art with political struggle.