Art & Design: The spirituality of Jannis Kounellis

THE NEW YORK TIMES
By Elisabetta Povoledo
Jannis Kounellis “Dodecafonia” is on view at the deconsecrated church of Sant’Andrea de Scaphis, which the gallerist Gavin Brown converted into an exhibition space last year. Credit Gavin Brown's enterprise New York/Rome & Jannis Kounellis, photo Manolis Baboussi
ROME — Sitting on a wonky chair inside the dim, deconsecrated church of Sant’Andrea de Scaphis in Rome’s Trastevere neighborhood last month, the artist Jannis Kounellis pondered eight of his newest works and agreed that they were the product of an extremist. “Si!” he said with conviction, and perhaps a hint of amusement that at 80 years old, he still tries to express the same idiosyncratic spirit as his first works six decades ago. Certainly, the pieces — which were created for the solo exhibition “Dodecafonia,” on view in the church until Nov. 30 — feature many elements familiar to Mr. Kounellis’s art, like burlap, rope, wood and steel. [link]

Tthe pieces feature many elements familiar to Mr. Kounellis’s art, like burlap, rope, wood and steel. Credit Gavin Brown's enterprise New York/Rome & Jannis Kounellis, photo Manolis Baboussi