Jannis Kounellis

Jannis Kounellis was an Italian contemporary artist of Greek origin based in Rome. He is one of the most prominent representatives of "Poor Art" (Arte Povera), an art movement that evolved in Italy in the late 1960s which explores the relationship between human-nature-culture and takes its name from the completely worthless and insignificant materials it employs. The most distinctive difference of Arte Povera is that the materials used in the works of art are very simple, effortlessly obtainable, easily found in nature -such as rags, twigs, stones, soil, or water-, common with no special qualities, and completely worthless. By using such disposable materials, Arte Povera aims to challenge and destroy the values ​​of the commercialized contemporary gallery system. In addition, not only must the materials, but also the way works are exhibited must be "poor", free from any complexities, and unpretentious just like nature. Works should be presented to the audience not intellectually but emotionally.

Other Works by the Artist

​Untitled​ 1968 - Tate                                                       Untitled​ 1969 - Tate                                           Fondzione Prada, 2019

The work arrives safely to the Özyeğin University warehouse in Turkey:

The work takes its place in the Faculty of Architecture (AB4):