MY LATEST TRIP: MOMENTS, TASTES, SCENES, ARCHITECTURE, PEOPLE AND MORE... #10

#4 BRATISLAVA NOT IN A HURRY

In the photo above, you see me sitting on the edge of the Ganymede fountain that was designed in 1888 as the first decorative fountain in Bratislava and the first one to be fed with filtered water from the Danube. It was inspired by the mythlogical Ganymede combined with figures of children hugging species common in the local section of the Danube: frogs, turtles and various fish.

Probably you wonder why I've posted the above photo. The reason is very simple. Today, I'm going to take you to see some of the most interesting public art, including strange sculptures that were created to give a little flair to the city and add a tourist attraction to visitors. As I looked at some of them, I thought there was a certain 'Disney-eque' quality , yet I found them funny.

Let's start with the most famous bronze sculpture named 'Cumil': a man peeping out from under a manhole cover. It seems unclear if this man is intended to be a spy or just someone out to watch the lady passersby... Two days after taking the photo on the left, as I was walking the street I noticed he was not there!!! I was told that he is often stolen or vandalized, so replacement or repairs take time...the municipality has spare ones in the case someone 'falls in love' with him....

Not far from Cumil, there is Schoene Náci, the local dandy Lamar who died in 1967. He was famous throughout the city. Walking all day along on the streets, he greeted the ladies in the traditional Viennese manner, kissing their hands, wearing white gloves and a hat all the times. I was told he was considered a bit crazy but very nice. 

I had the opportunity to find at various spots across the city, sculptures from several foreign artists who were exhibiting their large format works in outdoor areas, within the scope of the 18th edition of the Sculpture and Object event.

NESTS

Now, let me change from large-sized artworks to the smallest one, the Taunter, perhaps a unique and weird carving of a naked man set into the façade of a house.  There are many interpretations for his manner. One of them says it was intended to make fun of the nosy owner of the next building who used to peep out of the window passers-by, while another says that the naked man is rushing from the toilet to the window to watch the coronation feast...

I saw other quirky statues scattered throughout the streets, suggesting a sly sense of humour to the people who otherwise appeared a bit dour. I saw poignant statues and memorial plates that made me stop for long minutes... I saw fountains, not very impressive to me... well, if you care to give a look at the slideshow below, you can assess how beautiful or not all those are at your eyes...

~~ Thanks for stopping by ~~
~~ Have a great weekend ~~