mima, Middlesbrough
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Jannis Kounellis is a painter, performance artist and sculptor. Born in the Greek port city of Piraeus in 1936, he moved to Rome in 1956, and has lived and worked there ever since. He is best known as an influential figure of arte povera, a radical and revolutionary movement that emerged in Italy during the 1960s and questioned the value of art and culture that appealed only to a wealthy or 'cultivated' elite.
This exhibition featured some of the artist’s most important works, drawn from the ARTIST ROOMS collection, along with new work made specifically for mima. His use of simple, raw materials such iron, steel and coal resonates with the steel and coal mining industries that make up the North East’s industrial heritage, making him a perfect fit for exhibition in Middlesbrough.