Italy, 1960s to 1970s
Italian for "Impoverished Art" or "Poor Art", the term Arte Povera was introduced by Germano Celant as a label for a small group of artists who were experimenting with nontraditional and politically charged art.
These artists created and explored modes of expression such as ephemeral art, performance art, installation art and assemblage. These techniques have since become extremely common tools in contemporary art; in fact this is one of the reasons that such a small and short-lived movement continues to have such relevance today.
One of the clearest influences on the group is Marcel Duchamp, who could be considered the founder of Conceptual Art. His "Readymade" sculptures, especially his infamous "Fountain" Urinal, have the same kind of subversive power that Arte Povera works aim for.