ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Peter Fischli and David Weiss's 1987 film The Way Things Go documented

artist · 2026-04-22

Peter Fischli and David Weiss created their influential film The Way Things Go in 1987. The work is a color video with sound, originally shot on 16 mm film, with a total runtime of 30 minutes. This documentation of a chain reaction of everyday objects has become a landmark in contemporary art. The film was posted on artcritical.com on April 14, 2016. The Swiss artist duo's meticulous orchestration of physical cause-and-effect continues to be studied for its philosophical and artistic implications. Their collaboration produced one of the most recognizable works of late 20th century art.

Key facts

  • Peter Fischli and David Weiss created The Way Things Go
  • The work was made in 1987
  • It is a color video with sound
  • The video was transferred from 16 mm color film
  • Total runtime is 30 minutes
  • The work is copyrighted by Peter Fischli and David Weiss
  • It was posted on artcritical.com on April 14, 2016
  • The film documents a chain reaction of everyday objects

Entities

Artists

  • Peter Fischli
  • David Weiss

Institutions

  • artcritical.com

Sources