Strange Sculptures of the World

Art is a weird and wonderful thing. It can excite and terrify us, entertain us, leave us speechless, or in some cases  just confuse us slightly. Here are some of the strangest sculptures around today, to be found littering the streets of the world.

1. Mannenken Pis

This little statue is located in central Brussels, and depicts a small boy urinating into the foundation beneath him. There are lots of different suggestions as to the story behind this sculpture, however one of the most famous is the story of Duke Godfrey in 1142. Legend has it that troops put the infant into a basket to encourage enemies to come forward. The young boy proceeded to urinate on them, and the statue was therefore made to remember this moment!

2. Passing Through the Wall, Montmartre, Paris

This interesting but unusual statue is located in Marcel-Ayme square, in Montmartre. It is based on a character from a French short story who acquired this ability to walk through walls and was able to use it to his advantage ñ robbing banks and then fleeing from prison.

3. Engagement Rings, Vancouver, Canada

This sculpture is said to represent peace and love. Made from glass, steel and aluminium by artist Dennis Oppenheim, it can be found in the ground at English Bay. Unusual yes, but the message behind these rings is really quite nice.

4. Upside Down Charles La Trobe Statue (Australia)

Melbourne sculpture Charles Rubb quite literally turned things on their head for this piece of work. This statue, located by La Trobe University in Bundoora is said to embody the idea that universities should turn ideas on their heads.

5. Certainties on the gravitation of an Elephant, Paris, France

This interesting sculpture is said to examine gravity in relationship to the elephant, as artist Daniel Fuhrmann makes the statement that ëat a distance of 18,000 km from the earth would be able to balance an elephant on his own trunkí. Fuhrmann displayed his scientific calculations through this striking visual image. The elephant is life size to indicate the full magnitude of this act.

6. Maman

This sculpture was created in 1999 by Louise Bourgeois. Despite a short stint located in London, it is now on permanent display outside the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain. This striking, albeit slightly scary for some, statue is of a giant female spider carrying 17 grey and white marble eggs. It is approximately nine metres in height and ten metres wide.
The artist named this piece after her mum 'Maman'actually means 'Mummy' in French.

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