#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.
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.
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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 ~~
~~ Have a great weekend ~~
These are wonderful, Belita! The first one of "Cumil" made me think of a Tom Otterness sculpture of Mr Moneybags coming up out of the sewer and being pulled back down by a croc, so I had to Google this one to see if it was by him also.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing these.
Thanks, Deb, for your kind words. Actually, Viktor Hulik is the sculptor's name.
DeleteYou look gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteThe people seem to have a unique sense of humor...some very diverse art in Bratislava. A nice mix of old and new!
Thank you, Danette! Perhaps I felt so relaxed that my face shows it...
DeleteTheir sense of humour is a bit different from the Southern Europeans. Of course, I think it has to do with their culture, their history, their past...
First of all you look sooooo beautiful , as you are .
ReplyDeleteI have also pictured Cumil and Lamar , the rest are new for me . Thanks for sharing. Have a nice weekend.
Don't exagerate, Fatos, please! In fact, you would have to have enough time so as to walk a lot and see as many as I did.. Have a nice weekend you, too!
DeleteI didnt exagerate Belita , it is the truth . Have a nice week ahead.
DeleteThanks for sharing this photos. It seems that it is an artistic city. some are funny and traditional. You always make your travelogues appealing that one wants to visit there as soon as possible.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Robert, for your visit and nice comment. You know, I like to share what has caught my eye...
DeleteHi Belita. That's a really nice photo of you to start with. The more i see of your photos of this city, the more I want to see it for myself!! What a wonderfully eclectic mixture of classical/traditional and modern art and sculpture!! So many interesting pieces. A fabulous set of photos.
ReplyDeleteMitch, obviously the merit is not mine. I asked a tourist to take the photo and he kindly accepted my request. It's a small city (about 500,000 inhabitants), yet if we have enough time and like walking, we find interesting things. I'm afraid of being a bit monotonous by insisting on posting about Bratislava but I can't refrain from doing it... still so much to share on here... Thanks for the visit and comment.
ReplyDeleteVery nice seeing you again, Belita
ReplyDeleteIs that a new sunglasses? I like it. :)
Delightful modern sculptures along the streets, very different than other photos you showed about this city.
Let's me watch the slideshow next time.
Nice to see you, too, Sophie!
DeleteNo, it's not a new pair. I have it for several years already. Perhaps I didn't wear it during your stay because it was wintertime and, in my opinion, it doesn't match the colours of winter clothing. I always wear tinted glasses, because I'm short-sighted and my eyes don't like the brightness of the light in Lisbon.
Very nice slideshow of arts, mixed with different period time and concepts...it must had been so nice waling slowly in this open air gallery. you look lovely in pink. :)
ReplyDeleteGlad to notice that you returned back on here and enjoyed the slideshow. As you know well, pink is not my favourite colour, but for a change and I like changing, for my trip I didn't pack red coloured clothing...
DeleteYou are a very good observer and I enjoyed seen the urban sculptures of Bratislava
ReplyDeleteThanks, Leonor, for praising my observation. Glad to know you enjoyed the tour...
ReplyDeleteWow... Belita did you forgot who took the photograph of you... ??? It was me...:-)
ReplyDeleteI would never forget if you had taken it ( the top one) and if so I would have been very much pleased to not mention 'a tourist' as he actually was, a young man from Italy. Furthermore, accordng to my records and my trip diary book, the photo was taken on July 26 (Friday) in the morning (11:58am), precisely on the day we met in the afternoon near Humel sculpture to go to Skalica and Holica. In Skalica you did take three great photos of me hugging a bronze sculpture of a man drinking at a table, just placed in front of a bar or a café, and so you did the last one of the slideshow. Thanks, anyway, for your visit.
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