The Swiss contemporary artist Ugo Rondinone is the subject of the solo exhibition sunrise. east. at Städel Museum, Frankfurt, Germany. On view from June 28, 2023, the exhibition features large-scale silver aluminum sculptural heads with simple facial features, displayed across the Städel garden located within the museum. 
 
Embracing the spirit of “art for all,” Rondinone has exhibited his works in various public spaces worldwide since the 1990s. Keeping in line with his artistic philosophy, the exhibition aims to engage a diverse audience, regardless of each viewer's familiarity with art. The sculptures exude a friendly and humorous aura, characterized by their small eyes and wide-open mouths. They evoke a wide range of associations, such as totems in archaic cultures, ritual masks, ghosts, and the visual language of comics and emoticons, delving into the inner world of human emotions.
 
Each of the twelve-part series of sculptures is named after a specific month of the year, ranging from sunrise. east. january to sunrise. east. december. These works draw inspiration from the artist's personal experiences and contemplation of both individual and universal aspects of time. Arranged in a circular formation with the heads facing one another, the sculptures symbolize the cyclical passage of time. Together, these sculptures transform the garden into a unique landscape, with their silvery hue simulating the morning dew and enlivened by the light. sunrise. east. runs through June 9, 2024.