We assume that such ordinary objects as empty cans or torn packaging are made of metal or plastic, but on closer inspection, we are soon proven wrong. Peter Fischli’s creations are deceptive; the artist makes them by hand out of painted newspaper and cardboard and then enhances their surfaces by applying an additional coat of paint that simulates enamel, goldleaf, or a coating of rust. The trompe l’oeil effect is well-known from earlier works by the Swiss artist duo Peter Fischli and David Weiss. The Emanuel Hoffmann Foundation’s Tisch (1992-1993), consisting of over a thousand objects carved out of polyurethane foam and then painted (cigarette butts, yogurt cups, and dirty sponges), strikingly illustrates the brilliantly crafted preservation of utensils, which are actually garbage.

In Cans, Bags & Boxes Fischli addresses his own biography as an artist. The work is full of reminiscences, especially of an earlier work by Fischli/Weiss: in 1981 the duo produced very similar objects as props for their artists’ film The Least Resistance. The film opens with Rat and Bear setting off to visit an exhibition of sculptures by a successful abstract artist. However, their attention to the art on display is cut short by a corpse in the gallery. Over 40 years later, Fischli questions the function and value of art with the same mischievous mixture of humor, fantasy, and self-criticism.