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There are countless monuments in the world: famous and little known, striking the imagination with their monumentality and miniature, ancient and modern, classical and avant-garde. But among them there are the most unusual monuments of the world, which are impossible to forget. The fashion for strange, funny and outlandish statues appeared at the end of the XNUMXth century. Then, in many countries, not the classical sculptures and structures familiar to everyone, but monuments that went beyond the usual, began to appear.
10 Angel of the North
Based in Gateshead, England
This is the most unusual and avant-garde monument in the UK. The sculpture, depicting an angel spreading its wings, was created in 1998 by muralist Anthony Gormley, known for his extraordinary work far beyond the borders of the country. This monument is the largest depiction of an angel ever created by humans.
Entirely made of steel, a 20-meter figure with wings outstretched to meet all the winds meets tourists on a hilltop near the city of Gateshead in the north of England. The monument weighs 208 tons. Most of the weight is on a concrete base that goes deep into the ground. Winds in this part of the country can reach 160 km / h and the pile foundation of the statue must reliably hold the figure of an angel for 100 years.
The most remarkable thing about the monument is the wings, the span of which is almost equal to the wings of the Boeing 747. Their length is 54 meters. Outwardly, the Angel of the North most of all resembles a cyborg, and not a messenger from heaven. It is noteworthy that at first the inhabitants of Britain reacted ambiguously to the construction of the monument, but now it is considered one of the most unusual and interesting sights in the north of the country.
9. Sculpture by Charles La Trobe
Charles La Trobe’s sculpture in Melbourne is the most unusual monument to a famous person in the world.
This is a classic example of a monument created in honor of Charles La Trobe, the first Lieutenant Governor of Victoria. His activities at one time were not appreciated by contemporaries. Sculptor Dennis Oppenheim decided to correct this omission and perpetuated the memory of La Trobe. The monument is unusual in that it is placed on its head. As planned by the author, this way he should have attracted more attention. Indeed, the unusual monument “on the contrary” quickly became popular and famous not only in its homeland, in Australia, but throughout the world.
8. Wanderer sculpture
The most unusual monument in the world, dedicated to the wanderer, is located on the Mediterranean coast, on the shores of the Bay of Antibes. It represents an eight-meter figure of a man sitting on the ground, clasping his knees with his hands, and looking thoughtfully at the sea. The monument was created from several thousand metal Latin letters and creates a feeling of extraordinary lightness and tranquility.
This unusual monument appeared in 2007. The author is the sculptor Zhom Plans. He said of his masterpiece that the statue symbolizes freedom. As for the letters, this is the baggage of knowledge, feelings and problems that the “wanderer” is concerned about.
7. Bureaucratic Themis
Denmark can boast of the most unusual and somewhat shocking monument to Themis, and not an ordinary one, but a bureaucratic one. The sculptural group consists of an emaciated African, who bears the portly figure of the goddess Themis. As conceived by the author, Jens Galshiot, it symbolizes modern industrial society.
6. traffic light tree
The traffic light tree, a famous London landmark, has long been one of the most unusual monuments in the world. 75 traffic lights decorate the 8-meter tree.
5. Reading-lamp
An amazing monument is located in the Swedish city of Malmö. This is a huge table lamp the size of a three-story house (5,8 meters). During the year it “travels” through the streets and squares of the city, and before Christmas it is installed in the central square. The leg of the lamp is made in the form of a bench and any passer-by can relax under the cozy light of a giant lampshade.
4. Maryland cat
A huge number of funny and interesting monuments are dedicated to animals. One of the most unusual cat monuments in the world is located in Maryland. The growth of a man, a charming cat sits on a bench, putting his paw on her back and as if inviting passers-by to sit next to him.
3. The Fairies of Robin White
Robin White, a British artist, creates unusual aerial figures of fairy fairies out of steel. First, the author makes the frame of the future sculpture from thick wire, and then creates the “flesh” of the fairy from thinner steel wire. The graceful wings of air creatures are a chain-link mesh. Inside each figure, the artist places a stone with an engraving – the heart of a fairy.
Most of the sculptures are located in Trentham Gardens in Staffordshire. The artist is also ordered fairies for private collections – graceful figurines will decorate any garden or plot.
2. The travellers
This is one of the most unusual monuments in the world. More precisely, it is a set of sculptures united in the Travelers series. Their creator is the French artist Bruno Catalano. Due to the unusual structure, these monuments also have another name – “torn”. All of them depict travelers with an invariable attribute in the form of a suitcase or bag. The peculiarity of the sculptures is the torn holes in the body, which give them a certain illusory and illusory nature. In total, the author created about a hundred figures. They are located in big cities and small towns, at international exhibitions, in shopping centers and everywhere harmoniously fit into the environment.
1. Monument to Rene de Chalon
The first place, as the most unusual monument in the world, should be given to the sculpture of the Prince of Orange, mortally wounded during the siege of the city of Saint-Dizier in 1544. Before his death, Rene de Chalon bequeathed to depict him as he would look a few years after his death. The will of the prince was fulfilled. The sculptor Ligier Richet showed extraordinary skill and precision in creating a statue that shows the anatomy of a half-decomposed body with amazing authenticity. The monument to Rene de Chalon is installed in one of the niches of the Bar-le-Duc temple and for several centuries has amazed visitors with its realism.
Our country is far from last in terms of the number of unusual monuments. We have a monument to happiness, a sculpture created in memory of the letter “yo”, which is less and less used in writing, a monument to a stool, a purse, an enema and a grater, a lamplighter, a student, a plumber, a shuttle and a beggar. Favorite literary and cartoon characters are also immortalized in sculpture: a kitten from Lizyukov Street, the postman Pechkin, the cat Behemoth and Koroviev.