Marisa Merz

Marisa Merz (born 1926, Turin, Italy) was actively involved with the Italian artistic movement Arte Povera in the late 1960s. Awarded the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the 2013 Venice Biennale, today Merz is regarded as one of the world’s leading artists. The only woman affiliated with the Arte Povera group, Merz’s work has often included textiles, linking forms of traditionally feminine creativity with Arte Povera's call to embrace 'poor' or 'low' materials.

Merz continues to demonstrate a sense of openness with regard to materials and processes, as seen in her application of craft techniques, such as weaving and knitting, to non-traditional materials, including nylon, copper and iron.