As a mirror of our society, art’s universal language surpasses the common boundaries of time and age.

This unique transcultural power puts in contact artist Mario Mafai with Jannis Kounellis, establishing a dialogue on the meaning of art and its creative spirit, expressed through the exhibition Mafai – Kounellis. The freedom of the artist at Museo Carlo Bilotti in the Orangery of Villa Borghese, Rome. The fearful brushstrokes of the Italian painter blend together with the radical bareness of Kounellis‘s metallic panels creating an harsh yet suggestive melody. Bruno Corà, curator of the exhibithion, followed an emotional approach, showcasing the late works of the Roman School’s Master without a chronological order, linked to Kounellis‘s tribute / installation by a sentimental force. Despite the unexpected clash, the connection between the two artists is rooted in their own artistic paths. Indeed, Mafai hosted at La Tartaruga Gallery Kounellis‘s first exhibition ever, which at that time was barely twenty, showing him the intellectual and creative value of being an artist. The tall metal sheets of Arte Povera‘s patriarch create new dimensions that host Mafai‘s  most experimental canvas, paying an homage to the courage of the great Italian painter, who at the age of 56 left behind a past of honors and admiration to embrace new ways of artistic expression. The solitude of contemporary man, a major theme of Mafai‘s art, is embed into still-life of abandoned flowers and a bare stockman, trapped within the convulse Ropes series, and echoes in the cold metallic reflection of Kounellis‘s supports.

A race of artistic harmony combines yesterday memories and today’s achievements, reaching a different point of view about the everyday story.