Invitation to Create the Seven Magic Mountains

Seven Magic Mountains is a colorful outdoor art installation created by Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone. Located in the desert just outside Las Vegas, the artwork features seven tall towers made from large stacked boulders painted in bright neon colors. Rondinone created the installation in 2016 to bring a burst of color and creativity to the desert landscape and to explore the connection between nature and human imagination. The vibrant rocks stand out against the natural desert scenery, making the piece both playful and magical.

We invited the children to paint recycled styrofoam packaging that we broke down into boulder-like shapes. We provided fluorescent paint and brushes and invited them to paint freely all over the pieces, experimenting with bright colors and bold brushstrokes. After drying, they pushed the boulders through a kabob stick to stack them and make seven towers. 

Introducing children to different types of art and artists helps expand their creativity and curiosity about the world around them. Projects inspired by works like Seven Magic Mountains encourage children to explore color, texture, and form while strengthening fine motor skills through painting and handling materials. It also helps children see that art can exist everywhere, not just on paper, but in nature, large spaces, and unexpected places. Learning about artists like Ugo Rondinone allows children to connect their own creations to the wider world of art, helping them understand that their ideas, imagination, and self-expression are valuable and worth sharing.