Alighiero Boetti (1940-1994) was born in Turin. The work presented here is the “Red Book of the Thousand Rivers,” which contains the classification of the world’s thousand rivers. This particular copy, No. 368, is also signed and dedicated by Anne-marie Sauzeau-Boetti.

A versatile and kaleidoscopic conceptual artist, Boetti multiplied the types of works he created, sometimes delegating their execution to others with precise rules, adhering to the principle of ‘necessity and chance.’ This approach is seen in his “Biros” (blue, black, red, green), where the hatched fields showcase language, and in his small or large, multicolored letter embroideries. His “Tutto” works are puzzles that include heterogeneous silhouettes of objects and animals, images from magazines and printed paper, and much more—truly ‘everything.’

Additionally, there are his “Postal Works,” played on the mathematical permutation of stamps, the random adventure of postal travel, and the hidden beauty of the sheets contained in the envelopes. Another sector of Boetti’s work, unmistakably his own, offers many ‘exercises’ on graph paper in the early 70s, based on musical or mathematical rhythms. Later compositions on paper feature light compositions with rows of animals reminiscent of Etruscan and Pompeian decorations.