Seven Magic Mountains – Art Installation Review | Condé Nast Traveler
"What’s this place all about? The large-scale public work “Seven Magic Mountains” can be seen by anyone arriving (or leaving) Las Vegas via I-15, 10 miles south of the Strip. The massive, 30-foot-high neon-painted limestone totems cut an incredible picture against the desert. Artist Ugo Rondinone’s piece took several years to plan in this area, but all you have to do is follow the driving directions and show up. The work has been so popular (was there ever a better moment for the ‘Gram?), that the Nevada Museum of Art, which commissioned the piece along with New York’s Art Production Fund, is planning to restore it and display it for another five years; it opened in 2016 and had been scheduled to be dismantled in 2021. What’s it like being there? As you're driving past it on I-15, either to or from Las Vegas, the work looks like neon ice cream cones rising from the desert floor—but no, it's not part of the Neon Museum. It's an awe-inspiring installation, for sure, but in an otherworldly, wacky way. Is there a guide involved? There's not a guide involved; you show up and admire. Who comes here? The most dedicated fans of the landmark these days have been Instagram influencers, but it will appeal to art appreciators of all stripes. Did it meet expectations? Despite the fact that the structures are perfectly stable, they appear wobbly. They also alter your sense of size—it's hard not to feel small and humble when standing next to them. So, then, what, or who, do you think it’s best for? This art is easy to see, particularly since it's already on your way in or out of town. If nothing else, it will help reinforce the fact that there's a tremendous amount of barren, beautiful desert beyond the Strip." - Andrea Bennett
