This is an artist talk at Fondation Beyeler in Riehen (Basel, Switzerland) with the artist Peter Fischli and curator Hans Ulrich Obrist. The conversation took place on August 23, 2013, as part of the exhibition dedicated to Max Ernst. Peter Fischli and Hans Ulrich Obrist talk primarily about the artwork “Rock on Top of Another Rock” by the artist duo Fischli/Weiss. (In German language, subtitles available via YouTube settings).
Rock on Top of Another Rock. Artist Talk with Peter Fischli and Hans Ulrich Obrist. Fondation Beyeler, Riehen (Basel, Switzerland), August 23, 2013.
Rock on Top of Another Rock (2010/13) was the first public sculpture by Swiss artists Fischli/Weiss to be commissioned in the UK. It was on show at the Serpentine Gallery in London from 7 March 2013 to 30 September 2014. Situated near the entrance to the Serpentine South Gallery, it comprised two large granite boulders seemingly balanced one on top of the other, standing approximately 5.5 metres high. The monumental artwork now stands in the outdoor area of headquarters of the Swiss healthcare company Roche at Building 1 in Basel, Switzerland.
A parallel project, commissioned by the National Tourist Routes in Norway, saw two boulders installed in the Norwegian countryside along the Valdresflya tourist route.
‘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’ – Peter Fischli
Fischli/Weiss was the Swiss artist duo Peter Fischli (b. 1952) and David Weiss (1946–2012), who collaborated from 1979 until Weiss’s death. Known for playful, conceptual works that transform everyday objects into humorous, profound art, they blurred lines between high art and popular culture. Their iconic pieces include Sausage Photographs (1979), staging deli meats as surreal scenes; Suddenly This Overview (1981), over 200 unfired clay figurines depicting whimsical moments; and The Way Things Go (1987), a 30-minute chain-reaction film of household items in motion, inspiring global media. Other highlights: Equilibres (precarious junk sculptures) and Questions (existential handwritten slides), which won the 2003 Venice Biennale Golden Lion. Representing Switzerland internationally, they received major retrospectives at Tate Modern and Guggenheim. Their legacy lies in finding wonder, irony, and meaning in the mundane.
Hans Ulrich Obrist (born May 24, 1968, in Weinfelden, Switzerland) is a renowned Swiss art curator, critic, art historian, and writer. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in contemporary art, known for his innovative, boundary-pushing approach to curation that blends disciplines like art, science, technology, and culture. Obrist is the Artistic Director of the Serpentine Galleries in London, a position he has held since 2006, where he oversees exhibitions, programs, and international projects. He is also a Senior Advisor at LUMA Arles in France.
