ABAB

“A for Alighiero, B for Boetti” so says a phrase in one of his famous squares. A&B, like the initials of his daughter’s name, Agata Boetti. When placed together with no full stops, their initials spell out ABAB, “like the alternate rhyme scheme: ‘Gioco / di mano / gioco / di villano’ (never use your fists). ABAB when read back to front becomes ‘Baba’, an Ali who knows the magic formulas that open up treasure caves.”

This is how Stefano Bartezzaghi portrays the artist Alighiero Boetti, using pencils, games and puzzles. From the codes he used to classify artists - himself included - and never since deciphered, to the improbable collection of cartoons from the “Settimana enigmistica”, cut out and put aside for an exhibition that was never held.

ABAB. La stanza dei giochi di Agata e Alighiero Boetti pays homage to Boetti and the leitmotif of irony and playfulness that characterised his art and his role as a parent.