Group Zero

A movement, forged in the late 1950s by the German artists Otto Piene and Heinz Mack, that fostered artistic discovery by promoting a new environment unconstrained by past artistic traditions. The “zero” in the name was not intended to have the negative connotations of nihilism or abjection but instead highlighted the group's affinities with Minimalism and Italian Arte Povera in calling for simple forms and colors and expressions of light and using everyday materials. Lucio Fontana, Yves Klein, Hans Haacke, and Piero Manzoni were all notable members.