Untitled, 1989, by Jannis Kounellis, leads a strong selection of Arte Povera works in Bonhams Post-War & Contemporary Art Sale on Wednesday 6 March in London. Untitled, executed in 1989, is firmly rooted in the Italian movement`s ambition to challenge the hierarchies of artistic media in the late 1960s to early 70s. The work has an estimate of £100,000-150,000. Jannis Kounellis was one of Arte Povera’s central figures since the term was coined by Italian art critic and curator, Germano Celant, in 1967. Untitled, 1989, shows an antique sewing machine tightly bound to a sheet of metal by a rough-hewn rope. Combining both organic and man-made elements, the work is synonymous with the movement’s exploration of a wide range of materials beyond the traditional use of oil paint, bronze or marble. Instead, artists chose to use everyday materials to disrupt the values of the commercialised contemporary
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