Kounellis in Mexico
Jannis Kounllis was famous for his labyrintic installations, made of iron, coal, wood, but also flowers and coffee. Instead of watching from a distance, the public experiences physically the art work and becomes part of it. Invited during winter 2000/2001 to create the biggest exhibtion of contemporary art in Mexico, Kounellis chose an old cathedral of downtown Mexico City to create a gigantic labyrinth of little houses, altars, bibliotheques, made of typically Mexican materials like lava, steel, cactuses, colourful textiles and even songbirds. The film functions like a step-by-step discovery of this installation and juxtaposes fragments of the work, shot in slow camera crane movements, with impressions from everyday life in the city, completed by an interview with the artist in his Roman studio.
16mm, 26'