Oscar Winning Artist Pierre Bismuth Goes In Search Of Ed Ruscha’s Lost Artwork

In 1979, American artist Ed Ruscha allegedly made a piece of art entitled Rocky Number II, a fake rock made out of resin. He then hid it among natural rock formations somewhere in California’s vast Mojave Desert. It has apparently remained there, indistinguishable from all the other rocks, unfound for almost thirty years.
Named Rocky II after the Sylvester Stallone film, the work has never been spoken about publicly nor is it listed in any catalogue of Ruscha’s work.
Obsessed by this mystery piece, French Academy Award winner (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind – 2004) Pierre Bismuth set out to find this piece documenting his search in the fake-fiction film Where is Rocky II?
So obsessed by the piece, Pierre Bismuth actually sought Ed Rushca out in a press conference and asked him where the piece might be held. Rushca’s response, ” good luck.”

Bismuth’s documentary, made over the course of several years, now sees the light of day with his crowdfunded film Where is Rocky II? to be premiered at art galleries across the world including the Centre Pompidou in Paris, the Tate Modern in London and the LACMA in L.A. Check out the trailer below: