? Jannis Kounellis
Untitled (Knife and Train)
2002
On Display TATE BRITAIN
- Artist Rooms
From 1989 to 2005 Kounellis made a series of works produced in editions, described as multiples, in which he incorporated elements drawn from the vocabulary of his earlier practice. Perhaps referencing Joseph Beuys?s multiples, the works comprise organic and industrial materials, as well as painted lettering and found objects, arranged in compact vitrines. The objects were chosen for their tactile or sensory qualities ? for example, a kitchen knife, a sewing machine, coffee beans or hanks of hair. Compartmentalised into display cases traditionally reserved for museum artefacts, Kounellis raises the status of these ordinary items, inviting critical examination and artistic contemplation.
