Saturday, April 25, 2026 · No. 114
Artist Profile

David Weiss

David Weiss was a Swiss artist best known for his collaborative work with Peter Fischli, particularly their influential 1987 film 'Der Lauf der Dinge' (The Way Things Go). The duo gained international recognition for their use of everyday objects to create complex, humorous, and precarious chain-reaction installations.

Biography

Born in Zurich, Switzerland, David Weiss began his artistic collaboration with Peter Fischli in 1979. The pair quickly established a practice rooted in the observation of the mundane, often utilizing photography, sculpture, and film to subvert the viewer's expectations of domestic and industrial objects.

Their signature work, Der Lauf der Dinge, remains a landmark of contemporary video art, featuring a thirty-minute sequence of cause-and-effect reactions staged within a studio setting. Their broader body of work frequently explored themes of entropy, play, and the absurdity of human labor through meticulously arranged, fragile systems.

Following a prolific career spanning over three decades, Weiss continued to exhibit internationally until his death in 2012. His collaborative legacy remains a significant touchstone in the study of conceptual art and the intersection of performance and sculpture.

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Notable Works

  • Der Lauf der Dinge · 1987Film
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