Kounellis | Warhol. La messa in scena della tragedia umana: la classicità di Jannis Kounellis e il pop di Andy Warhol

Rejecting a singular stylistic classification for Jannis Kounellis and Andy Warhol, the project offers a critical reflection on their ideological and aesthetic differences alongside their cultural tangencies and shared tension regarding spirituality.

The exhibition examines how both artists marked their time through distinct trajectories: Kounellis through the weight of matter and Warhol through the surface of the image. Despite these differences, the display highlights their shared Western roots in Rome and New York, as well as their respective connections to Orthodox and Byzantine spiritual traditions.

Both artists engage with the concept of the “icon” as a move towards absolute meaning rather than a mere media object. While Kounellis utilises primary materials like iron and coal in a secular liturgy, Warhol hides the sacred behind symbols of consumerism and celebrity.