Standing in Kensington Gardens outside the Serpentine Gallery is a sculpture called “Rock on Top of Another Rock”, and for good reason – this new piece of public art by Peter Fischli and David Weiss consists of two granite boulders balanced on top of each other. It’s the first public piece for these two Swiss artists, whose work is a mixture of serious and humorous intent, and stands 5 1/2 metres high – it’s sure to become a popular spot for some unoriginal photos…
Peter Fischli explains its simplicity:
In Norway and here, to put one rock on top of another rock in the wilderness is the first thing you do if you want to make a mark. When you walk and you want to find your way back… you make this mark. It is a very archaic, simple thing, but it is referencing the [Robert] Venturi duck. We wanted to make something that forces you to stop your car and get out to take a photograph.
Be sure to pop inside the Serpentine Gallery when you visit because there is a small show of the maquettes for the piece, as well as a series of witty photos that continue on this ‘balancing’ theme.
Other artists have made art with rocks. In Los Angeles, the artist Michael Heizer dragged a 340 ton rock from the desert and perched it over a slot at the LA County Museum – do you think ‘Rock On Top Of Another Rock’ will gain the same notoriety?
About Bonnie Alter
