When Faith Moves Mountains
“Maximum Effort, Minimum Result”
Overview
Alÿs’s motto for When Faith Moves Mountains is “Maximum effort, minimum result.” For this epic project the artist invited five hundred volunteers to walk up a sand dune on the outskirts of Lima, Peru, shoveling in unison, thus displacing the dune by a few inches. Demonstrating a ridiculous disproportion between an effort and its effect, the work is a metaphor for Latin American society, in which minimal reforms are achieved through massive collective efforts. Participants in the project gave their time for free, reversing conservative economic principles of efficiency and production. Embracing rumor, urban myth, and oral history, Alÿs aims to make works that continue beyond the duration of the event itself, through stories disseminated by word of mouth.
Crew
- Director
- Francis Alÿs
- Writers
- Rafael Ortega, Cuauhtémoc Medina, Francis Alÿs
- Producer
- Francis Alÿs
Frequently asked questions
What is When Faith Moves Mountains rated?
When Faith Moves Mountains does not yet have enough audience votes for a stable rating.
Who directed When Faith Moves Mountains?
When Faith Moves Mountains was directed by Francis Alÿs.
When was When Faith Moves Mountains released?
When Faith Moves Mountains was released in 2002.
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