Untitled 

Rodolfo Arico made this ‘Untitled’ print using serigraphy. The flat shapes and overlaid grid reflect a move towards abstraction, with Italian artists questioning inherited values. During the 60s and 70s, artists across Europe began to critique the institutions that governed the art world. Looking at this print, we might see the influence of the Bauhaus, which was shut down by the Nazi regime but whose ideas continued to circulate, promoting the idea of art as a kind of design. Also, we might think of the almost invisible grid as an allusion to the institutions that subtly constrain the artist. To deepen our understanding of this work, we might examine exhibition catalogs and critical reviews that would offer insights into how Arico and his contemporaries were received in their time. By exploring the broader social and institutional context, we can start to see what was at stake for artists like Arico.