Top five seriously strange statues

Ever been walking in town or even the country and stopped abruptly as you spot a strange statue? We have! After a discussion in the EMFURN office about some of the most bizarre monuments in the world, we were on a mission to uncover even more silly statues. Here are our top five..

 Kindlifresser, Bern, Switzerland

Completely freaky, the Kindlifresser in Bern, Switzerland sits on top of a fountain, scaring passersby – especially children! What we love about the child eater is that it was first built in 1546 and has been around ever since. Some say that the statue was built as a warning to Bern’s Jewish community as the statue wears a similar yellow hat to that which the Jews were forced to wear at the time. Others say that he represents Kronos from Greek mythology. Whatever the truth, we agree that this statue would chill you to the bone!

La Mona, Tijuana, Mexico

Built by part-time art student Armando Garcia, this huge statue of a naked woman is five stories high. After his project was rejected by Tijuana City officials, Garcia decided to go ahead anyway, building the statue in his own neighborhood, a Tijuana ghetto. Following its completion, the artist moved into the statue with his wife. He now uses it as a studio space.

Flying Monkeys, Burlington, Vermont, USA

You may recognize these flying monkeys from a popular children’s book and film. Can you think of which one? Fans of The Wizard of Oz will love these flying monkey statues sat on top of the old Union Station in Burlington, Vermont. Originally designed for a store called the Emerald City of Oz, these legendary figures have been displayed in several different places in the town until finding their current resting place. We think that they are bizarre but completely cool.

Walking to the Sky, New York City, USA/ Dallas, Texas

Now a permanent exhibit at the Nasher Sculpture Centre in Dallas, Texas, Walking to the Sky by Jonathan Borofsky features a range of statues of painted life-sized figures walking up a 100-foot pole. Inspired by a story that the artist was told by his father when he was a young boy, the sculpture made its debut at New York’s Rockefeller Centre in the autumn of 2004. The tale tells of a father and his son who would travel into the sky to visit a friendly giant who would do good things to help people on earth. We just wish that the giant was included on this stunning statue too!

Invisible Bodies, Marseille, France

Created by French artist Bruno Catalana, ten of these cool sculptures are being exhibited on the waterfront in Marseille, France to celebrate the town’s status as the 2013 European Capital of Culture. Offering a unique optical illusion, the statues made of bronze, are missing the middle part of their bodies. The artist, born in Morocco and previously a sailor, explains that his statues represent the world citizen, based on the premise that as we become older and travel further afield we lose parts of ourselves that will never return.

Here at EMFURN, we think that these seriously strange statues are brilliant!