Ugo Rondinone
Sunrise East

The series Sunrise East by Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone consists of twelve life-sized, silver-colored aluminium heads. Each head represents a month of the year, from January to December. The faces are reduced to expressions with large mouths, small eyes, and a variety of emotions, ranging from happy and naive to sceptical and fearful.

The series serves as a meditation on the cycle of time. The heads symbolize the various emotions and experiences we go through during the year. The silver-colored aluminium alludes to dawn, a time of new beginnings. The heads are arranged in a circle, symbolizing eternity.

Rondinone’s work is often playful and humorous, yet serious and meditative. Sunrise East is a piece that both moves and alienates. It invites contemplation on time, human nature, and the transience of life.

This installation in the Sculpture Garden of MDD is presented in conjunction with the 2nd Biennial of Painting.