Currently on view at the Serpentine Gallery (Kensington Gardens) is the exhibition Thoughts in the Roots, featuring works by Giuseppe Penone spanning from 1969 to the present. Curated by Claude Adjil, Hans Ulrich Obrist and Alexa Chow, the exhibition is organised in collaboration with the Italian Cultural Institute of London.
Thoughts in the Roots brings together works ranging from 1969 to the present, highlighting Penone’s enduring interest in the relationship between matter and the artistic process. One of the leading figures of Arte Povera – the Italian art movement of the 1960s that celebrated the use of humble materials and techniques – Penone has employed a wide range of media in his practice, including wood, iron, wax, bronze, terracotta, marble and plaster, showcasing the inherent qualities of each. Over the course of his long career, Penone has explored sculpture, drawing, painting and photography.
The London exhibition embodies the key principles of the artist’s work, particularly the synergy between artistic and natural processes, and the poetic relationship between human beings and the environment. As visitors will observe throughout the show, Penone’s work is deeply inspired by the landscapes of the forests of Northern Italy.
