Fischli b. 1952, Zurich, Switzerland; lives and works in Zurich, Switzerland. Weiss b. 1946, Zurich, Switzerland; d. 2012; lived and worked in Zurich, Switzerland.

Peter Fischli and David Weiss were a Swiss artist duo known for their collaborative work spanning over three decades. Fischli was born in 1952 and Weiss in 1946, both in Zurich, Switzerland. They first met in 1979 and began their artistic partnership in 1981. Fischli and Weiss's work spans a range of media, including sculpture, photography, video, and installation. Their work often engages with everyday objects and situations, imbuing them with humour, playfulness, and a sense of wonder. Their most well-known work is The Way Things Go (1987), a film depicting a Rube Goldberg-style chain reaction of everyday objects. The duo has exhibited their work in numerous international exhibitions, including Documenta 8, the Venice Biennale, and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. David Weiss passed away in 2012, but Peter Fischli has continued to exhibit their collaborative work as well as his solo projects. Their legacy remains influential in the contemporary art world for their unique approach to everyday objects, their use of humour, and their ability to create complex and engaging narratives out of simple and familiar materials.

Peter Fischli and David Weiss’ recent solo exhibitions include Polyurethane Objects, Galerie Eva Presenhuber, Vienna (2023); Der Lauf der Dinge (The Way Things Go), 1987, and Untitled, 2018, LUMA Arles, Parc des Ateliers (2020); Should I paint a pirate ship on my car with an armed figure on it holding a decapitated head by the hair?, Sprüth Magers, London (2019); Fischli/Weiss: Snowman, Museum of Modern Art, New York (2018); Fischli/Weiss: Snowman, Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago (2017); Peter Fischli David Weiss: How to Work Better, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York (2016); Rock on Top of Another Rock, Norwegian National Tourist Route Art Project, Valdresflya (2012); Walls, Corners, Tubes, Sprüth Magers, London (2012); Peter Fischli David Weiss: Questions, the Sausage Photographs, and a Quiet Afternoon, Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago (2011); Goetz Collection, Munich (2010); 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa (2010); Are Animals People?, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia y Palacio de Cristal, Madrid (2009); and Sonne, Mond und Sterne, Sprüth Magers, Berlin (2008). Recent group exhibitions include Home Life, Matthew Marks Gallery, New York (2021); Au rendez-vous des amis. Klassische Moderne im Dialog mit Gegenwartskunst aus der Sammlung Goetz, Sammlung Goetz, München (2020); The Foundation of the museum: MOCA`s Collection, Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (2019); If Everything Is Sculpture Why Make Sculpture? Artist’s Choice: Peter Fischli, The Museum of Modern Art, New York (2018); Gardens, Galeries Nationales du Grand Palais, Paris (2017); Infinite Garde, From Giverny to Amazonia, Centre Pompidou-Metz (2017); Embracing the Contemporary, The Keith L. and Katherine Sachs Collection, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia (2016); A Perfect Match, Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich (2015); Slip of the Tongue, Punta della Dogana, Venice (2015); Benefit Auction, Schikel Pavillion, Berlin (2015); The Encyclopedic Palace, Venice Biennale, Venice (2013); A Sunday in the Mountains, Swiss Institute of Contemporary Art, New York (2013); Everyday Epiphanies: Photography and Daily Life Since 1969, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (2013); and Ileana Sonnabend: Ambassador for the New, The Museum of Modern Art, New York (2013).

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