Giuseppe Penone in ‘Arte Povera’ at Hauser & Wirth Gallery

In 1977, Arte Povera artist Giuseppe Penone grew potatoes inside casts of his ear, mouth and nose. The resulting face-shaped potatoes were cast in bronze and are set among real potatoes in Hauser and Wirth Gallery’s huge showcase of the Italian art movement that embraced ‘poor’ materials and rethought what art could be. (On view in Chelsea through Oct 28th).

Giuseppe Penone, Patate (Potatoes), five bronze casts, potatoes, installation dimensions variable, 1977.