Peter Fischli and David Weiss
Switzerland b.1952 / Switzerland 1946–2012

The Way Things Go (Der Lauf der Dinge) 1987
Colour video, transferred from 16mm-film: 30 minutes, sound
Courtesy: Sprüth Magers, Berlin, London, Los Angeles

Like a pair of unorthodox scientists, Swiss artistic duo Peter Fischli and David Weiss engage in a series of experimental actions to create an improbable causal chain in The Way Things Go (Der Lauf der Linge) 1987.

In an empty warehouse, the laws of physics compel common household objects to roll, tumble, burst, spin and ignite in a sequence of controlled catastrophes, at once purposeful and pointless. As the film’s domino-like sequence unfolds, we grow fearful that a minor miscalculation could break the chain. The surrounding charred floor, spilt substances and studio detritus suggest disaster and failure are never far away.

With its spirit of unbridled curiosity and play, The Way Things Go is a tribute to experimentation, invention and chance. The film’s disarming amateurism belies the year of trial and error it took to perfect the unravelling chain reaction. As humanity faces the potentially devastating consequences of climate change and increasing environmental disasters, this iconic work holds insights for how causality might be met with ingenuity, to address – and perhaps rectify – the way things go.