Ugo Rondinone's colorful mountains sculptures

Last updated: January 22, 2020

Ugo Rondinone – Seven Magic Mountains Las Vegas, Nevada, 2016

Published: February 20, 2017

Last updated: January 22, 2020

Seven Magic Mountains, 2016

Seven Magic Mountains by Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone sits comfortably in the desert south of Las Vegas in Nevada. The colossal work is made up of seven towering sculptures of stones weighing up to a ton each. The huge limestone boulders are stacked on top of one another. Each tower is made up of three to six stones and each stone has a specific color with each stack standing as high as 9 to 10.5 meters. Seven Magic Mountains is now one of the largest land-based art installations in the United States in the last 40 years.

Video: Ugo Rondinone on Seven Magic Mountains

5 min 12 sec

The meaning of the work

Ugo Rondinone is known to be a lover of nature and some of his works revolve around the sun, the moon, and the cosmos. The artwork goes further to emphasize the kind of interest the artist has in natural phenomena and how they reformulate in art and refers to the natural world, existentialism and romanticism all concurrently in a mental trinity that the artist’s works have been known for. According to the artist, Seven Magic Mountains brings out the togetherness and unity between nature and human, natural and artificial, as well as the past and the present.

Ugo Rondinone – Seven Magic Mountains Las Vegas, Nevada, 2016

Why is it relevant?

This work has become like a special art pilgrimage site as it evokes a kind of spirituality that is bound to have spectators engaged and leave them in awe. The location brings about a feeling of stability from the mammoth sizes of the boulders. Seven Magic Mountains is placed strategically such that viewers will be able to view it from different angles and perspectives, and is getting the expected reactions from the public. Whenever people stumble upon it, they smile and bring out their phones to take pictures. It is also making waves on social media as many people are talking about it.

Installation of Ugo Rondinone’s Seven Magic Mountains Las Vegas, Nevada, 2016

Location

S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89054
(775) 398-7228 (Nevada Museum of Art)

Open 24h

No admission fee

Parking

Please park in the onsite parking lot. Street parking is discouraged. No public transportation is available to the installation site.

The work is on display until December 31, 2021

How to get here

From Las Vegas

From I-15 S to Sloan Rd. Leave at exit 25. Turn left (east) to Las Vegas Boulevard. Drive about 7 miles south on Las Vegas Blvd. Seven Magic Mountains will appear on your left (east).

From Los Angeles

Drive north on I-15 to Jean, NV. Leave at exit 12. Turn right (east) on NV-161 toward Las Vegas Blvd. Drive about 5 miles north on Las Vegas Blvd. Seven Magic Mountains Las Vegas will appear on your right (east).

Miami Mountain, 2016, Miami Beach

Ugo Rondinone – Miami Mountain, The Bass, Miami Beach, 2016

Liverpool Mountain, 2019, Tate Liverpool

1 min 45 sec

Ugo Rondinone – Liverpool Mountain, 2018, painted stone, stainless steel, 435 cm × 1021 cm × 195 cm, Tate Liverpool

Mountain sculptures

Ugo Rondinone - Installation view, Clouds + Mountains + Waterfalls, Sadie Coles HQ. Copyright the artist, courtesy Sadie Coles HQ, London.

Ugo Rondinone – Installation view Clouds + Mountains + Waterfalls, Sadie Coles HQ, London.

Ugo Rondinone – Unique Stone Sculptures, installation view, Sadie Coles HQ, London

Ugo Rondinone – Purple Pink Red Orange Yellow Green Mountain, installation view, Sadie Coles HQ, London

Ugo Rondinone - Black Blue Pink Mountain, 2015, painted stone, stainless steel, pedestal, courtesy Sadie Coles HQ, London

Ugo Rondinone – Black Blue Pink Mountain, 2015, painted stone, stainless steel, pedestal, installation view, Sadie Coles HQ, London

Ugo Rondinone - Orange Yellow Green Blue Pink Red mountain Mountain, 2015, painted stone, stainless steel, pedestal, courtesy Sadie Coles HQ, London

Ugo Rondinone – Orange Yellow Green Blue Pink Red mountain Mountain, 2015, painted stone, stainless steel, pedestal, installation view, Sadie Coles HQ, London