Where is the Mercury Fountain?
Barcelona
Located inside the Fundació Joan Miró in Barcelona, Calder’s Mercury fountain is one of the deadliest works of art in existence today.
What toxic material did Calder use to create a fountain for the 1937 Worlds fair?
Thank you for reading The Atlantic. The physical properties of mercury turn this simple fountain into a mesmerizing crucible of liquid metal. Calder’s 1937 sculpture commemorates the siege of Almadén, Spain, known for its mercury mines, and is now part of the collection at the Fundació Joan Miró.
When was Mercury Fountain made?
1937
Mercury Fountain (1937) | Calder Foundation.
What is the price of mercury?
Mercury Price
| Year | Price | Price (Inflation Adjusted) |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | $2,000.00 | $2,000.00 |
| 2017 | $1,450.00 | $1,484.80 |
| 2016 | $4,120.00 | $4,315.91 |
| 2015 | $3,740.00 | $4,007.95 |
Is mercury illegal to sell?
California law restricts the level of mercury in some products (such as general purpose lights and packaging), and bans the sale of other mercury-containing products outright (such as mercury-containing thermometers, blood pressure cuffs, etc.).
How rare is liquid mercury?
about 0.08 parts per million
Hydrargyrum comes from Greek words for “water-silver” (hydr- means water, argyros means silver). Mercury is a very rare element in the Earth’s crust. It accounts for only about 0.08 parts per million (ppm) and is mainly found in the mineral cinnabar, which is mercuric sulfide.
Is liquid mercury safe to touch?
Mercury is a very toxic or poisonous substance that people can be exposed to in several ways. If it is swallowed, like from a broken thermometer, it mostly passes through your body and very little is absorbed. If you touch it, a small amount may pass through your skin, but not usually enough to harm you.
Where is the Mercury Fountain in Barcelona now?
Today, the fountain resides in the Fundacio Joan Miro in Barcelona, Spain, and continues to pump pure mercury, though now it does so behind a pane of glass to protect viewers from touching or breathing fumes produced by this toxic work of art.
What is the significance of Calder’s Mercury Fountain?
Calder’s Mercury Fountain was displayed at the Spanish Republican Pavilion for the 1937 World’s Fair in Paris, and was situated in front of Pablo Picasso’s famous painting Guernica. Like Guernica , Calder’s sculpture should be understood in the context of the Spanish Civil War and was intended to have a political meaning.
Why is there a fountain in the center of a mine?
So when Spain decided to build a monument to the mine (which was long worked by criminals and slave laborers, most of whom died of mercury poisoning), they commissioned American sculptor Alexander Calder to build a graceful fountain which, instead of water, would pump pure mercury.
