Among the most poetic and defining works of Alighiero Boetti’s storied career, the Arazzi – vividly coloured embroidered tapestries – are a testament to the artist’s conceptual brilliance. The Arazzi are visually arresting and embody the intellectual depth and dualities at the heart of Boetti’s practice, such as order and disorder, individuality and collectivity, and chance and intentionality. Collaborators brought Boetti’s templates to life as embroidered works, including Arazzi, vibrant grids of letters forming phrases; Mappe, world maps where countries are defined by the colours and symbols of their flags; and Tutti, intricate collages of diverse objects, ranging from sunglasses to scissors. They reflect his profound engagement with cross-cultural collaboration and his critical examination of traditional notions of artistic authorship.

In 1971, Boetti made his first journey to Afghanistan, a pivotal moment that marked the beginning of a profound decade-long relationship with the region. Deeply enamoured by the culture and craftsmanship of Afghan artisans, Boetti began commissioning local embroiderers to create his iconic mosaic-like word grids and geopolitical maps. These collaborations, initially centred in Kabul, thrived until the Soviet invasion in 1979 forced production to relocate to Peshawar, Pakistan. Despite the upheaval, the works retained their distinctive cross-cultural dialogue, an essential hallmark of Boetti’s oeuvre.
The Arazzi are characterised by their meticulous construction: letters arranged within geometric grids, forming words that reveal aphorisms, witticisms, or philosophical musings when read vertically. The playful yet cerebral nature of these works exemplifies Boetti’s fascination with language, presenting it as both an intellectual tool and a visual phenomenon. Fragmented into their constituent letters, the words dissolve into shapes and patterns, rendering language simultaneously abstract and systematic. This deliberate fragmentation underscores Boetti’s exploration of language as a constructed, almost arbitrary system – its beauty lying in its capacity for both order and chaos.

Recurring phrases within the Arazzi – including “Ordine e Disordine” (Order and Disorder), “Segno e Disegno” (Sign and Design), and “Mettere al Mondo il Mondo” (Bringing the World into the World) – stand as encapsulations of Boetti’s artistic philosophy. These phrases highlight the artist’s preoccupation with dualities and infinite possibilities, serving as meditative reflections on the human condition and the structures that shape our understanding of the world.

By entrusting the execution of his designs to artisans, Boetti blurred the boundaries of artistic authorship, challenging the traditional Western notion of the artist as sole creator. Instead, the Arazzi represent a harmonious fusion of Boetti’s conceptual vision with the craftsmanship and cultural insights of Afghan embroiderers – a meeting of minds that speaks to the universality and interconnectedness of art.