A contraption created from a dirty pair of shoes attached to a heavy cylinder on a wooden board.

Fischli & Weiss: The Way Things Go

July 25–October 25, 2026

Media Arts Watch Gallery

An unlikely series of chain reactions where mundane objects roll, tip, and spin hurtling into each other and triggering fires—The Way Things Go, an iconic 1987 art film, engages viewers with humor and suspense. Celebrated Swiss artist duo of Peter Fischli and David Weiss constructed the cinematic sequences over a period of two years, painstakingly removing any signs of human involvement to create a sense of spontaneous continual movement.

A contraption created from a dirty pair of shoes attached to a heavy cylinder on a wooden board.
The Way Things Go (still), 1987
Peter Fischli and David Weiss

About Fischli & Weiss

Peter Fischli (b. 1952) and David Weiss (1946–2012) collaborated on works spanning sculpture, film, and photography for over thirty-three years. Using invention, whimsy, and absurdity, they created works of wonder that reveled in the space between “high art” and the everyday.

Featured Image CreditPeter Fischli and David Weiss , The Way Things Go (still, detail), 1987. Color video with sound. Gift of Nancy S. and Peter O. Brown, 2018.1. © Peter Fischli and estate of David Weiss. Image courtesy of Icarus Films.