Pumped for the Climate
Jason deCaires Taylor installed four life-sized horse and rider sculptures in London’s River Thames for the 2015 Totally Thames festival. Titled The Rising Tide, the pieces depict traditional working horses with oil pump jacks for heads. Two riders are older businessmen while the other two are youths—symbolizing the escalating climate crisis versus hope for change.
Strategically positioned near Parliament, the partially submerged sculptures revealed and concealed themselves with each tidal shift to represent rising seas. Highlighting fossil fuel’s environmental effects makes it an urgent call for environmental action.
Stepping it Up
New Zealand artist David McCracken’s Diminish and Ascend creates a mind-bending optical illusion of an infinite stairway. This towering 12-meter welded aluminum sculpture, installed permanently in Christchurch Botanic Gardens in 2016, depicts a staircase with gradually diminishing steps converging to a vanishing point.
First unveiled at Australia’s Sculpture by the Sea at Bondi Beach in 2013, the $192,000 masterpiece has earned critical acclaim and sparked debates after birds fatally struck its pointed apex. From certain angles, the steps appear to ascend endlessly into the sky, evoking a “stairway to heaven” inspired by the iconic Led Zeppelin song.
Bon Voyage
Situated in the bustling Marseille-Fos Port area, the enigmatic Les Voyageurs sculpture by French artist Bruno Catalano depicts two imposing figures—a man and a woman—walking side-by-side. Installed near the cruise terminals, the sculpture acknowledges Marseille as a major maritime gateway that welcomes millions of travelers annually.
Evoking ideas of leaving pieces of oneself behind with each departure, Les Voyageurs has become an iconic public art landmark. Its towering scale and symbolic representation of travel fittingly grace this significant transportation hub in southern France.
Sculpting in the Rain
A bronze figure holding an umbrella handle appears showered by a suspended cascade—a functional fountain raining down from the umbrella’s dome—graces Florence, Italy. Created by Belgian artist Jean-Michel Folon in 2002, this poetic merger of human form and natural elements epitomized his imaginative style.
Though twice vandalized in 2008 and 2014, the iconic Rain Man was restored, sparking public debate over its new location. The work delights and engages viewers through unforgettable scenes blurring reality and fantasy—a hallmark of Folon’s renowned surrealist approach.
Sculpture You Can Get Inside
Following last year’s viral Ripped Up installation, Hervé-Lóránth has unveiled another colossal human figure crawling from the earth at Szechenyi Istvan Square in Budapest, Hungary. Titled Repost, this behemoth depicts a man winding up to launch a slingshot. But the real spectacle lies in its interactive elements—an auditorium carved into the sculpture’s side invites visitors to project selfies onto its interior walls.
By allowing the public to literally become part of the artwork, Repost transforms from a static object to a communal experience. As with Ripped Up, this sculpture blurs boundaries between observer and observed, art and participant.
The Renaissance Rocks!
The Gigante dell’Appennino is a colossal 35-foot sculpture created by Flemish artist Giambologna from 1579 to 1580 near Florence, Italy. Commissioned by the Medici family, it’s a personification of the Apennine Mountains. Designed hollow with interior rooms, the Colossus contains a fireplace to emit smoke from its nostrils and a water-spouting monster in its palm.
Located at the Villa Demidoff overlooking a pond, this rugged stone and stucco colossus symbolized the power of the Apennines and the grandeur of its patrons. A masterwork of Renaissance sculpture, it remains an awe-inspiring technical and artistic achievement over 400 years later.
Reef Relief
Submerged off Nassau, Bahamas is Ocean Atlas, a monumental five-meter tall sculpture of a young Bahamian girl carrying the weight of the ocean on her shoulders. Created by artist Jason deCaires Taylor, this impressive 60-ton work is the largest single underwater sculpture.
A modern take on the Greek Atlas myth, it symbolizes the burden placed on future generations to protect our oceans from threats like overfishing, pollution, and climate change. Constructed with pH-neutral materials to form an artificial reef, Ocean Atlas draws visitors away from fragile natural reef systems with its powerful message about marine conservation.
Popping Pachyderms
At the Hippo Square at the Taipei Zoo in Taiwan, life-sized hippos burst from the ground. Their gaping jaws may seem threatening, but these statues are meant to delight, not terrorize. Former zoo director Chen Pao-chung conceptualized the installation within the African Animal Area to provide an engaging complement to the live exhibits.
The realistic yet surreal half-submerged hippos have become a signature nonliving attraction. Recognized among the world’s most creative statue designs, Hippo Square immerses visitors in an adrenaline-charged experience observing these mighty mammals emerge underfoot.
Stepping Ahead
This sculpture from Jeju Loveland takes a different approach to exploring the human form. Rather than depicting a person in their entirety, it’s one of many pieces featuring a woman from only below the waist.
The statue takes an upside-down approach by showing the feet pointing up, almost as if the person is doing a handstand. Their torso is hidden below the ground, hinting toward some hidden meaning. Perhaps it has something to do with feet? We’ll never know for certain!
Heligan’s Hidden Head
Crafted in 1997 by artists Pete and Sue Hill, The Giant’s Head is an iconic living sculpture nestled in The Lost Gardens of Heligan in Cornwall, England. This life-sized face emerges mystically from the landscape, fashioned from a fallen tree trunk’s massive root ball plastered with mud and twigs.
Like the nearby Mud Maid, The Giant’s Head’s craggy features undergo a transformative facelift each season as vines, blooms, and greenery sprout across its surface. The ever-changing Giant’s Head symbolizes Heligan’s rebirth after to the gardens’ rediscovery in 1990. This mystical sculpture enchants visitors with its embodiment of nature’s perpetual cycles.
Lover’s Paradise
A man and a woman are portrayed having an intimate moment through a hole in a wall at Jeju Loveland, a themed sculpture park on an Island in South Korea. The statues show a sense of movement like they’ve been frozen in an embrace. Controversial yet profound, the piece is among many exploring human connectedness.
As with many provocative works there, a vividness blurs the line between sculpted figures and living, breathing subjects captured in the throes of love. It’s a daring and controversial celebration of humanity’s most primal urges.
Mischief From a Manhole
Located in Brussels, the bronze De Vaartkapoen statue by Tom Frantzen humorously depicts a local “Vaartkapoen” (a Molenbeek native) emerging from a manhole to trip a policeman. Installed in 1985, the sculpture celebrates the rebellious spirit and anti-authoritarian attitude associated with the working-class district.
With its playful nod to undermining institutional power, De Vaartkapoen has become a beloved symbol of defiance. Its inspiration from Hergé’s comic art style cements its lighthearted yet subversive social commentary. This whimsical artwork capturing a moment of sabotage has achieved iconic status.
Half-Minded Madness
Among the dozens of sculptures in Victor’s Way Indian Sculpture Park, visitors gravitate toward the striking Split Man. This imposing black granite figure depicts a person literally split in two, representing inner turmoil and life’s contradictory paths.
Gazing upon the Split Man‘s anguished pose prompts one to ponder conflicts between reason and desire. The park’s other mystical sculptures provide an enlightening context, but Split Man remains the existential centerpiece.
Reef Madness
Vicissitudes is a haunting underwater sculpture by Jason de Caires Taylor created off the coast of Grenada in 2007. It features 26 life-size children holding hands in a circle, facing outward into the currents at a depth of 14 feet. The 15-tonne sculpture is made from pH-neutral cement, making it into an artificial coral reef.
While Taylor intended to represent themes of unity and resilience, some interpret the powerful imagery of shackled figures submerged underwater as a memorial to the victims of the slave trade. Vicissitudes artfully blends environmental activism with evocative symbolism.
Coarse and Creative
The Sand World festival in Lübeck-Travemünde, Germany, captivated visitors with its impressive sculptures. The festival covered an expansive area of 10,000 square meters on the Priwall near Lübecker Bucht. The event drew approximately 450,000 visitors in 2005, who marveled at the intricate creations crafted by a talented team of around 75 sculptors.
Using sand sourced from the Maas River, these artists sculpted towering figures, some reaching up to 10 meters high. The Sand World festival remained a highlight in Travemünde’s cultural calendar until its final edition in 2007.
Focal Point
The Paparazzi sculpture in Bratislava, Slovakia, is a life-size bronze figure of a crouching paparazzo, complete with a crumpled jacket, baseball cap, and intense expression. Created by Slovak artist Radko Mačuha in 2009, it humorously captures the essence of paparazzi culture.
Adoring the Paparazzi Cocktail Bar, the statue has become a popular photo spot for tourists—as ironic as that may be. Its realistic details and clever concept offer a lighthearted yet thought-provoking commentary on celebrity culture.
Pigeon Tin
A flock of gargantuan pigeons comes to life across Gatineau’s urban landscape, their towering aluminum forms casting kaleidoscopic reflections. The Odyssey turns an ordinary city scene into an imaginative sight as three giant pigeons appear transfixed by a supersized Campbell’s soup can—courtesy of Quebecois artists Jean-François Cooke and Pierre Sasseville.
The vibrant hues and playful augmentations of everyday objects delight with humor and striking visuals, transforming a park into a mythical realm where the mundane mingles with the extraordinary.
Thread Head
In downtown Calgary, a massive wire mesh girl’s head seems to gaze skyward in wide-eyed wonder. Spanish artist Jaume Plensa’s 39-foot-tall Wonderland invites passersby into its dreamy architectural realm. Step through the entrance and you’re instantly transported, ensconced in the delicate latticework that composes the girl’s facial features from within.
As sunlight filters through, evoking a kaleidoscope of shifting shadows, Wonderland becomes a palace for imagination. Whether illuminated at night or bathed in daylight, the sculpture sparks curiosity about embracing the endless possibilities of our inner wonderland.
Green Goddess
A sleeping beauty lies nestled in the Lost Gardens of Heligan, her earthy features blurring the line between art and nature. The Mud Maid is a living sculpture crafted by sibling artists Pete and Sue Hill, her hollow frame swathed in sticky mud that sprouts to life with the seasons.
In spring, vibrant ivy clothes her form while sedge and montbretia adorn her hair. By autumn, withered vines drape like robes as she slumbers anew. This perpetually changing artwork has awakened the 400-year-old gardens, luring thousands to watch the Mud Maid’s bewitching transformation year after year—embodying the cycles of nature.
Monument to Yee-Haw
Visiting Dallas’s Pioneer Plaza is like stepping into the Old West, where a massive bronze cattle drive springs to life. Towering six feet tall, 49 incredibly detailed longhorn steers forge through the park, led by three saddled cowboys whipping the herd along.
Artist Robert Summers’ awe-inspiring $4.8 million monument to the city’s trailblazing heritage immerses visitors in a quintessential 19th-century moment—you can practically hear the jingle of spurs and longhorn bellows. Each bull bears unique markings from furrowed brows to plodding hoof prints fossilized in the park’s rocky terrain.
Looking Eye-conic
You can’t miss the Giant Eyeball in downtown Dallas—a hyperrealistic, 30-foot-tall fiberglass eyeball that watches over the city. Created by artist Tony Tasset and modeled after his own peeper, this colossal sculpture—originally commissioned for an exhibition in Chicago’s Pritzker Park—was bought by the Joule Hotel in 2013.
The eye’s bright blue iris and web of crimson veins appear lifelike. While Tasset claims no deeper meaning beyond making something “awesome”, viewers can’t help but ponder ideas of watchfulness, perception, and human consciousness.
Big Waste
Rising 190 feet over Jingzhou, the gargantuan Guan Yu Statue is an imposing depiction honoring the legendary warrior-general. Meticulously assembled from over 4,000 bronze strips, the $220 million colossus portrayed Guan Yu brandishing his 123-tonne Green Dragon blade atop a pedestal reminiscent of an ancient warship.
After guarding Guan Gong Park since 2016, criticism over the statue’s opulence led to its controversial $24 million demolition, completed in 2022. As cranes dismantled the 1,197-tonne giant piece-by-piece, it became a polarizing symbol—a vain display of wealth to some, an awe-inspiring cultural icon to others.
Amphibians in Amsterdam
A peculiar sight greets visitors wandering through Amsterdam’s Kleine-Gartmanplantsoen square—a motley crew of bronze iguanas sunbathing nonchalantly on the brick pathway. This cheeky 1994 installation by Dutch artist Hans van Houwelingen brings an unexpected burst of life to the urban landscape.
Forty reptilian sculptures lounge, bask, and seemingly skitter across the sidewalk in vivid detail. Clever details like arched backs and splayed toes create an uncannily realistic scene. Van Houwelingen’s Blauw Jan symbolizes the city’s adaptation amid constant evolution through these lizards.
Sculpted Steeds
Thundering across William’s Square, Robert Glen’s breathtaking Mustangs sculpture gallops through the heart of Irving, Texas. These nine bronze-sculpted wild mustangs capture the unbridled spirit of the Lone Star State.
Stretching nearly 40 feet long, the dynamic stallions appear frozen mid-stride—water arcs around their powerful hooves amplify their kinetic energy. Coupled with its colossal scale, exquisite details like rippling manes and flared nostrils bring this vivid sculpture to life. Glen’s masterpiece is an ode to the freedom of the open range.
Monstrous Mama
Lurking in museums in Spain, the UK, and Canada is Louise Bourgeois’ spellbinding Maman—a towering 30-foot spider crafted from ribbed bronze clutching an eerie marble egg sac. Despite her menacing stature, this arachnid possesses a maternal energy, paying homage to Bourgeois’s mother, a talented weaver.
Gone With the Wind
Italian artist Lorenzo Quinn stopped the world in its tracks with his gravity-defying Force of Nature sculptures. These colossal bronze bombshells depict Mother Nature effortlessly whirling the eight-foot globe around like a basketball in a wrapped cloth. The dynamic poses and windswept hair give the illusion of nature unleashing hurricanes and tsunamis.
Quinn’s gargantuan goddesses have taken up residence worldwide, reminding us mere mortals of nature’s brute strength. One second she’s calm, the next she’s flinging continents around! Despite their imposing energy, these iconic sculptures captivate with their physics-defying feats and embodiment of Nature’s unmatched force.
Colossal Couple
Talk about a larger-than-life lovers’ quarrel! Love, a colossal creation by Ukrainian artist Alexander Milov, depicts two massive wire-frame adults sitting back-to-back, but their inner children are reaching out for a hug. At night, the glowing kid sculptures light up the adults’ gloomy disposition with a beacon of hope for reconciliation.
After igniting imaginations at Burning Man 2015, this 58-foot long, 24-foot tall masterpiece found a permanent home in Hungary in 2017. Who knew the secret to everlasting love was hidden within the innocence of our inner child?
Watering the Garden
Amid the lush greenery and winding paths of Burgas’ iconic Sea Garden stands an oversized faucet that appears to drip endlessly. The rusted metallic fixture seems frozen in perpetual motion, with water trickling from its spouts into the flowerbed below.
Whether interpreted as a commentary on water’s preciousness or simply an exercise in visual metaphor, the gravity-defying leaky faucet delights visitors with its playful presence. It has become a beloved landmark that enhances the Sea Garden’s vibrant ambiance.
Fish Out of Wall
Keith Jellum’s Transcendence is a delightfully whimsical 11-foot bronze sculpture of a massive salmon crashing through a brick wall. This eccentric Portland landmark perfectly captures the city’s quirky public art scene. Jellum’s hand-forged fish, jutting awkwardly through the corner of a building, is an amusing yet impressive piece of craftsmanship.
Hovering above a seafood restaurant on Salmon Street, the fishy façade connects to the local culture and cuisine. Transcendence injects humor and vibrancy into the urban landscape, making it a beloved public art piece that delights and unites the community.
Groundbreaking Work
A striking 72-foot aluminum sculpture by J. Seward Johnson Jr. called The Awakening depicts a struggling giant embedded in the ground, desperately trying to free itself. Originally installed in Hains Point, Washington D.C. in 1980, the iconic piece was relocated in 2008 to a manmade beach along the Potomac River in National Harbor, Maryland.
Crafted from five separate pieces, The Awakening conjures a captivating image of emergence from captivity. Copies of it have been exhibited in Chesterfield, Missouri, and various cities in Italy. A fiberglass version called Il Risveglio resonated with Italian admirers for its likeness to Renaissance-era sculptures.
Bear Necessities
The Big Blue Bear sculpture, titled I See What You Mean, is an iconic 40-foot-tall creation by British artist Lawrence Argent that has peered into the windows of Denver’s Colorado Convention Center since 2002. Crafted from molded polymer concrete on a steel framework, the sculpture’s faceted exterior is composed of 4,000 interlocking triangles.
The Big Blue Bear has become a beloved symbol of Denver that represents curiosity and innovation—the natural and the artificial existing simultaneously. This captivating piece demonstrates Argent’s penchant for intertwining innovative technology with art.
