Torino, l'Arte Povera e la scrittura di scena

Through Grotowski’s influence and Celant’s communicative medium, theatre played a central role in the formation of the movement. The proximity between the two creative spheres can also be traced back to a tendency that characterizes the Zeitgeist: tightening the relationship between the work and the environment, consequently between the creator and its users, blurring the boundaries between installation and performative action. In the following months theatrical practice became a focal point for many Arte Povera artists. Through their roles as set designers, although limited in time, a brief but significant chapter was written in the broader story composed by figurative artists in 20th-century theatre. The epicenter of this phenomenon was the city of Turin, whose highest institution in the sphere of prose theatre was led for three years by a collegial direction. The events mentioned and analyzed in this contribution not only attest to the penetration of interdisciplinary hypotheses into the theatrical circuit but also highlight the artist's invasion of a practicable space different from that of traditional painting and sculpture, freeing scenic writing from customary production schemes