The installation of a monumental sculpture is always a striking thing to behold. Safely moving the colossal pieces into position involves great precision and expertise, culminating in what can appear to be a subtle act of magic—as an artwork becomes one with its surroundings.
When the work in question is one of Ugo Rondinone’s remarkable 'Mountain' Sculptures—a gravity-defying stack of boulders painted in the Swiss artist’s signature Day-Glo palette—the enormity of the task, and the eventual transformation it brings to the landscape, is even more pronounced. The process was captured in this video of the recent installation of 'ermatingen mountain', 2021, at Wolfsberg. This unique piece was commissioned by the UBS Art Collection. It continues the artist’s 'Mountain' series with a stack of four giant stones in colors chosen for their relationship to the lakeside panorama surrounding the seminar and conference center.
Rondinone is one of the foremost contemporary Swiss artists of his generation, most recognisable for his artworks that pop with vibrant neon colors and often explore big questions through simple, universal symbols. Key among the artist’s preoccupations are the perception of space and time, and the impact of humanity on the world around us. The 'Mountain' series takes inspiration from the age-old practice of piling stones – a practice with cultural and spiritual significance spanning continents and centuries – as well as the natural stone formations known as hoodoos that jut from the deserts of North America.
'ermatingen mountain' joins a display of works by artists such as Pipilotti Rist, Carlos Cruz-Diez, Federico Herrero and Stephan Balkenhol at Wolfsberg, reflecting both the UBS Art Collection’s mission to acquire significant artworks of our time and its history of long-term collaborations with contemporary artists. Fittingly for a place centred around dialogue, the new work will no doubt inspire further exchanges of ideas among those who visit.
