From up close, we can read the phrase “Fountain of Youth” engraved on each of the objects. The work’s title evokes various associations: the deep human desire for eternal youth, dsm-firmenich’s research in the field of preventive health, the numerous works of art that have dealt with the motif, scientific research and innovation, and the obsession with beauty and the cult of youth. Boller’s fountain is a contemporary interpretation of the theme that is deliberately left open for interpretation. It evokes associations that range from the ancient myth of a nymph transformed by Jupiter into a fountain where bathers could be rejuvenated, to the vitamins and dietary supplements that serve as today’s fountain of youth.
From a distance, the sculpture shines with a vibrant synthetic yellow, while the view from the upper floors of the surrounding buildings reveals Boller’s characteristic interplay of painterly and sculptural elements. The strict formal organization of the serial, uniform concrete objects is framed by the free-form coloured surface below, which was poured onto the base and painted on site, its shape determined by chance and the characteristics of the terrain. We are presented with two states of matter: ellipses are solid, whereas the ground surface appears to be liquid. For the artist, this symbolizes scientific research itself: “The controlled alignment of uniform elements that constitutes the framework contrasts with the self-organizing surface unfolding within the experimental arrangement.”
About the Artist:
Reto Boller’s art straddles painting, architecture, and sculpture, deliberately defying categorization. With works in numerous public and private collections, a longstanding and active exhibition record, and highly regarded projects in the field of art and architecture, Reto Boller, born in Zurich in 1966 and currently residing there, is firmly established in the Swiss art world. Boller became a professor of painting at the State Academy of Fine Arts in Stuttgart in 2007.
With works in numerous public and private collections, a longstanding and active exhibition record, and highly regarded projects in the field of art and architecture, Reto Boller, born in Zurich in 1966 and currently residing there, is firmly established in the Swiss art world. Boller became a professor of painting at the State Academy of Fine Arts in Stuttgart in 2007.
Reto Boller (born in 1966, lives in Zurich)
Fountain of Youth, 2023
9 concrete elements with text engravings, industrial paint, 73 x 452 x 452 cm.
Produced in collaboration with Kunstgiesserei St. Gallen, DSE systems AG, Maseltrangen; Bickelmaler AG, Wangen-Dübendorf, 2023
