A unique work of art is hidden in the immediate vicinity of Munich’s traffic center and right in the heart of the KPMG building in the west end. It’s about steps – and endlessly many. Stairs bring us up and down again. They are a symbol of ascent, but also of descent. But before we continue to linger in philosophical spheres, we’ll tell you what it’s all about. It’s… drum roll… the endless staircase. The name says almost everything, it is the famous staircase without end. You never get anywhere, either above or below. The stages form an endless cycle. What it’s all about?
An artist who thinks big
The endless staircase was created by Olafur Eliasson. He is a Danish artist of Icelandic origin, lives and works in Berlin and Copenhagen. The steps are not his only work of art in Munich. He also penned the floating ball called “Sphere” in the Fünf Höfe and the eddy system in the foyer of the Lenbachhaus. Internationally, Eliasson has already created a lot artistically. For example, in his Green River project, he colored several rivers around the world with non-toxic dye, capturing the reactions of the unknowing populace along the water streams. He is also well known in the Big Apple, where he created four artificial waterfalls around Manhattan, including on the Brooklyn Bridge.
A bit like life
Eliasson’s artistic focus is primarily on physical phenomena in nature, including light, water, movement and reflection. The same goes for the infinite staircase. It is the only one in the world where you can walk up and down without changing direction. The nine meter high construction consists of two steel double spirals. Their helix shape is reminiscent of the structure of DNA and embodies an endless cycle – a bit like our life, a constant up and down. Whatever the artist wants to tell us with his work, there is no question that the construction is a cultural enrichment for Munich and just incredibly fascinating.
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