Curated by Mr. Huang Du, this exhibition witnesses the whole new works made by Jannis Kounellis, the famous Arte Povera master from Italy. Reflecting Mr. Kounellis’ thoughts on China, Translating China is also the artist’s first exhibition in China. His works analyze Chinese society and culture, and manifest the inner connection among the reality, tradition, memory and context. It's going to be held at Today Art Museum from November 19th through December 13th, 2011.

Jannis Kounellis is considered one of the most representative artists of Arte Povera movement. Arte Povera, proposed by Italian art critic Germano Celant in 1967, concludes and describes the artistic styles and ideas of many young Italian artists at that time. They used junks, everyday materials or things people often ignore as the media of their artworks, aiming to cast off and break down the conventional constraints set by“high” art, and redefine art languages and ideas. Creating art with such primitive andsimple materials is often considered as a school of conceptual art.

As early as in 1967, he had involved live birds in his installation Untitled. Two years later, he even brought and harnessed 12 horses into a gallery at Rome. At that time people were greatly shocked by his avant-garde art practices, which brought tremendous impact on the concept and border of art, and set a landmark on life art. Jannis Kounellis had drawn inspirations from the dramatic elements in Caravaggio’s paintings, and became a pioneer who used animals as media in a subversive manner. It is only after him that this kind of art began to assume a new aspect, e.g. Damien Hirst’s cattle or sheep, Maurizio Cattelan’s horses, pigeons or squirrels, etc. Thus, Jannis Kounellis is referred to as one of the most important artists at the time of Joseph Beuys.

As usual, Kounellis uses coal, steel plates, copper plates, gunnysacks, wood, etc., which reveals the aesthetic of being simple, natural, primitive and humane he always adheres to. It’s particularly worth noting that when he was in China, he used lots of porcelain shards, porcelain bowls, white cloth and Chinese army coats in addition to steel plates, and dialectic visual philosophy. As a traveller, he has always been communicating with different cultures, ready to absorb and transform things he originally couldn't classify.

Jannis Kounellis was born in 1936 in Piraeus, Greece. He moved to Rome and began to study Accademia di Belle Arti in 1956. He had taught at Düsseldorf Academy of Fine Arts as professor for eight years. Now he lives and works in Rome. He is one of the favorites by Kassel Documenta and Venice Biennale, and many important museums, foundations and individual collectors have collected his works.

Organizer: Today Art Museum

Curator: Huang Du

Duration: November 19—December 13

Venue: 2nd and 3rd floor exhibition hall of building 1