Concettuali

Concettuali is the plural form of the Italian adjective concettuale, meaning related to concepts, ideas, or theories. In general use, it describes things that emphasize concept over form, content over appearance, or theoretical considerations over material aspects.

In the arts, concettuali commonly refers to conceptual art, a movement that emerged in the 1960s and 1970s. Artists associated with this approach prioritize the idea behind a work rather than its physical object. Works often foreground language, instructions, documentation, or performance, and may take the form of texts, scores, diagrams, or installations that exist primarily as concepts or procedures rather than conventional artworks.

In Italy, the conceptual turn of the period brought Italian practitioners into contact with international developments. Notable Italian figures linked to conceptual approaches include Giulio Paolini and Piero Manzoni, among others. Their work helped integrate conceptual strategies with Italian artistic debates of the time, including questions about authorship, language, and the role of institutions.

Legacy and impact of concettuali include influence on how art is defined, collected, and presented, pushing museums and critics to rethink the relationship between idea and object. The term remains in use to describe works, practices, or discourses that foreground concept as the essential aspect of art, as well as in broader discussions of theory-driven creativity in design, philosophy, and cultural studies. See also Arte concettuale.