© 2026 Estate of Walter De Maria
Large Rod Series: Square 5, 7, 9, 11, 13
Artist
Walter De Maria
(USA, 1935 - 2013)
Alternate Title
- Den stora stavserien: kvadrat 5, 7, 9, 11, 13
Date1984
Dimensions13,4 x 131 x 131cm
Classification
Countries
Credit LineInköp 1986 med bidrag från Moderna Museets Vänner
Object NumberMOMSK 120
CollectionsGeometri, Moderna Museets Vänner
The artwork is not on display
About the artworkThe five beams are each 131.4 cm long and 14.6 cm high. They are made of solid stainless steel and each way 136.2 kg. The shape is polygonal; with 5, 7, 9, 11 or 13 sides, they are placed in a perfect square, where the external dimensions are determined by the length of the beams. Hand-honed and hand-polished, they reflect the light of the room, creating a distance, emanating weight, compactness and energy. Silence. But the scalene shape and the odd number of sides pose an open question about the mystical interpretation of numbers. The beams are not exactly the same, the repetition hides a variation; what appeared to be strict minimalism proves to hold an enigma. A meaning, suggested but never articulated.
Signatures, inscriptions and marks
Alla fem stavar är signerade och daterade med stämpel på den fasett som skall ligga neråt: "Walter de Maria 1985"
Selected exhibition history
Walter De Maria. Två mycket stora presentationer / Two Very Large Presentations (1989)
Moderna Museet, Stockholm
Hyllningar - Moderna Museets Vänner 50 år (2003)
Moderna Museet, Stockholm
Objekt och kroppar i vila och rörelse (den 26 september 2015 - den 12 juni 2016)
Moderna Museet, Stockholm
The Moderna Museet exhibition catalogues
Walter De Maria : två mycket stora presentationer : [Moderna Museet, Stockholm : 1989 03 11 - 1989 05 07]