Motorists arriving in Las Vegas via Interstate 15 from Southern California are being treated to a spruced-up roadside attraction: the iridescent "Seven Magic Mountains" has gotten a fresh coat of paint, its first in three years.
The vividly colored installation, by internationally renowned Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone, has been catching people's eye along I-15 since 2016 but is more vibrant than ever following a restoration that took about a month and wrapped up on June 20.
From three to six locally sourced limestone boulders, each radiating a different fluorescent color, are stacked vertically in seven groups. Each individual totem stands between 30 and 35 feet high. The teetering formations seem to defy gravity and have become Instagram stars at all hours of the day.
The artwork is located about 20 minutes south of the Las Vegas Strip. Visitors can exit Interstate 15 at either the Sloan or Jean exits, park in a makeshift lot and walk a short distance to be among the colossal stones.
The installation, co-produced by the Nevada Museum of Art and New York's Art Production Fund, will be on display through the end of 2021. Extensions are expected while a plan for permanency is being explored, museum officials said.