Sculptor and painter Jannis Kounellis was a wanderer at heart. Although he was born in Greece, much of his artistic career was spent in Italy immersed in the Arte Povera movement. The movement, which translates literally to “poor art,” challenged artists to use everyday materials like steel beams, charcoal, and burlap sacks to communicate a humanist message. Kounellis was distressed by the separation and fragmentation of contemporary society and sought to breathe life into institutional spaces through his art. Early in his career he achieved this by incorporating live birds and horses into performances. He later refined his approach, producing installations and artworks that relied on a precise understanding of materials and structure.

–Elizabeth Shaw, from the Glenstone Field Guide