“Berlino 2012” is the title for the new work of Greek artist Jannis Kounellis. Martin-Gropius-Bau Museum in Berlin will host the exhibit until June 24 under the “Art and Press” exhibition.
This new composition of Kounellis consists of old sewing machines laid on the ground, which have newspaper headlines sewed on a black piece of cloth. There are sacks full of coal around them, a common material used by the Greek artist.
“Sewing machines represent the artist’s concept of extermination. Coal stands for death and machines’ cast-iron symbolizes the past,” comments a journalist of Bild, which featured some of the works, adding, “this work poses the question if we live only in the present, the past disappears.”
“We sew history and our identity on the unknown part of life,” concludes the newspaper.
Kounellis introduced new materials in his installations, such as smoke, coal, meat, ground coffee and rice, and sometimes uses the galleries themselves to stage his works. He has also replaced the canvas with bed frames, doorways and windows.
This is not the first time Jannis Kounellis will have his work exhibited in a museum of international fame. Tate Modern Gallery in London has dedicated a whole room to him.
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