Hidden within an office building in Munich, a staircase seemingly leads you up... to nowhere. "Umschreibung" is in fact not a staircase at all, but an ominous sculpture by Danish artist Olafur Eliasson.
The sculpture, which is made of steel and is over 30 feet tall, is a staircase in the shape of a moebius strip. The bottom of the steps has a small opening, so you can actually climb the stairs yourself–although you won't get very far.
"Umschreibung" is a German word which means "euphemism," or "circumlocution." It's not easy to know which definition Danish artist Olafur Eliasson had in mind when he created his towering sculpture in 2004, but it's not hard to figure out what he's trying to say. The sculpture located in the middle of the courtyard of the KPMG building; in the midst of all that high-powered ambition and drive, a reminder that no matter how hard you work, we might all be going nowhere.