This monograph explores the origins and impact of Michelangelo Pistoletto’s seminal body of work the Minus Objects (Oggetti in meno), which is considered fundamental to the birth of the Arte Povera movement.

Four years after his iconic mirror paintings catapulted him to international acclaim, Michelangelo Pistoletto took an abrupt left turn with his series, the Minus Objects. Comprised of 28 disparate objects—an oversize cardboard rose; an industrial lamp casting green light; a minimalist iron sculpture—the Minus Objects break with the notion of a signature style and are symbolic of infinite creative possibilities. As an ensemble, it minimizes the role of authorship, permitting each enigmatic object to speak for itself as autonomous and self-sufficient.

Pistoletto is one of Italy’s most important and influential artists, and this book celebrates the creation of the Minus Objects as a radical turning point in postwar sculpture and conceptual art. The installation is represented in double-page spreads and the entire volume is designed to appear as a discrete object itself. Along with Pistoletto’s original artist statement and transcripts of conversations about his work, this volume brings together critical analyses from some of the leading voices of the contemporary art world. Together, the images and texts in this book serve to position the Minus Objects as a work of stunning originality and historical significance.