Frieze Sculpture

In this impossible-seeming tower configuration, the rings appear to have mushroomed upward toward the sky. Each ring is connected to the next, forming a structure that resembles a chain-link system.

Elmgreen & Dragset are known for making sculptures that transform everyday or inconspicuous objects in ways that shift their perceived value. Here, the life ring—usually made of basic materials like plastic or foam—is instead rendered in stainless steel, changing its materiality and thereby elevating it to a higher status associated with permanence, art, and architecture. The sculpture, climbing over four meters tall, becomes both a visual anchor and a potential meeting point.

2025 marks the 30th anniversary of Elmgreen & Dragset’s creative partnership and the 20th anniversary of their iconic Prada Marfa installation. The presentation at Frieze Sculpture will coincide with the opening of the artists’ newest exhibition, The Alice in Wonderland Syndrome at Pace in Los Angeles.