Car Crushed by Volcanic Boulder Debuts Saturday on the National Mall

What: Visitors–and drivers–on the National Mall will be surprised Saturday to encounter the Hirshhorn’s jaw-dropping (rock-dropping) newest acquisition, a 1992 Dodge Spirit crushed under the weight of a 9-ton volcanic boulder with googly eyes.

When: Saturday, Aug. 6, installation in progress 7:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Where: Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, 7th St. SW and Independence Ave. SW, Washington, D.C.

Who: Chief Curator Stéphane Aquin, Director of Exhibitions Al Masino.

This Saturday, Aug. 6, the Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum will install and debut the newest addition to its outdoor sculpture collection. Entitled “Still Life with Spirit and Xitle,” it features a car being crushed by a volcanic boulder with a comical smiley face painted on it. This slapstick disaster scene is one of the most well-known works of art by artist Jimmie Durham, a sculptor who is known for his sense of humor and irreverence.

Due to its weight, museum staff will be using massive cranes, geo-location tools and precise engineering to carefully install first, the car, and then the boulder, in front of the museum’s main entrance on Independence Ave. The museum will live-Tweet the installation with the handle @Hirshhorn.

Xitle (shy-tuhl) means, “spirit,” which is the name of both the Dodge model of the car and the volcano from which the rock was quarried. Deceptively simple, “Still Life with Spirit and Xitle” is intended to capture the clash between industrial and ancient spirits. It will be on view through Summer 2017.

For more information, visit hirshhorn.si.edu.

Note to producers and editors: Photographers and visitors are welcome during installation, but must notify the Hirshhorn press office in advance at pecka@si.edu. Hirshhorn experts are available for advance and on-site interviews.

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SI-394-2016