There are countless monuments in the world: famous and few known, striking the imagination with their monumentality and miniature, ancient and modern, classic and avant-garde. But there are among them 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 20th century. Then, in many countries, classical sculptures and constructions that were not familiar to everyone began to appear, but went beyond the scope of ordinary monuments.
10. Angel of the North
Located in Gateshead, England
This is the most unusual and avant-garde monument in the UK. The sculpture depicting an angel fluttered its wings was created in 1998 by the monumental artist Anthony Gormley, known for his extraordinary works far beyond the borders of the country. This monument is the largest depiction of an angel ever created by humans.
A 20-meter-high figure made entirely of steel with wings spread out to meet all the winds greets tourists on a hilltop near the city of Gateshead in northern England. The monument weighs 208 tons. Most of the weight falls on the concrete base, 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 in the monument is the wings, the scale of which is almost not inferior to the wings of the Boeing 747. Their length is 54 meters. Outwardly, the Angel of the North most resembles a cyborg, not a messenger of heaven. It is noteworthy that at first the inhabitants of Britain reacted to the construction of the monument ambiguously, but now it is considered one of the most unusual and interesting sights of the north of the country.
9. Sculpture of Charles La Trobe
The sculpture of Charles La Trobe in Melbourne is the most unusual monument of a famous person in the world.
This is a classic example of the monument, created in honor of Charles La Trobe, the first vice-governor of Victoria. His work at one time was not appreciated by contemporaries. The 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 the head. As conceived 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. Sculpture of a wanderer
The most unusual monument in the world, dedicated to the wanderer, is located on the Mediterranean coast, on the shores of Antibes Bay. He is an eight-meter figure of a man sitting on the ground, clasped 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 Plan. He said of his masterpiece that the statue symbolizes freedom. As for letters, this is the baggage of knowledge, feelings and problems that the “wanderer” is concerned about.
7. Official Themis
Denmark boasts the most unusual and somewhat shocking monument to Themis, not just ordinary, but bureaucratic. The sculptural group consists of a skinny African who bears the burly figure of the goddess Themis. As conceived by the author, Jens Galsiot, it symbolizes the modern industrial society.
6. Traffic light tree
The traffic light tree, the famous London landmark, has long been included in the list of the most unusual monuments in the world. 75 traffic lights adorn the 8-meter tree.
5. Table lamp
An amazing monument is located in the Swedish city of Malmo. This is a huge table lamp the size of a three-story house (5.8 meters). During the year she “travels” through the streets and squares of the city, and before Christmas she is installed in the central square. The lamp leg is made in the form of a bench and any passerby can relax under the cozy light of a giant lampshade.
4. Cat from Maryland
A huge number of funny and interesting monuments dedicated to animals. One of the most unusual monuments in the world depicting a cat is located in Maryland. As tall as a man, a charming cat sits on a bench, resting its paw on its back and as if inviting passers-by to sit next to it.
3. Fairies of Robin White
Robin White, a British artist, creates from steel unusual aerial figures of fairy fairies. First, the author makes the frame of the future sculpture from thick wire, and then creates the “flesh” of the fairies from thinner steel wire. The graceful wings of air creatures are a netting net. Inside each figure, the artist places a stone with an engraving - the heart of a fairy.
Most of the sculptures are located in Trentam Gardens in Staffordshire. Fairies are also ordered for the artist for private collections - graceful figures will decorate any garden or plot.
2. Les Voyageurs
This is one of the most unusual monuments in the world. More precisely, this is a lot of sculptures, united in a series of "Travelers". Their creator is the French artist Bruno Catalano. Due to the unusual structure, these monuments are also called “torn”. All of them depict travelers with the same attribute in the form of a suitcase or bag. The feature of the sculptures is torn holes in the body, which give them a certain illusory character and phantom. In total, the author created about a hundred figures. They are located in large 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, must 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 death. The will of the prince was fulfilled. The sculptor Liigier Richet showed extraordinary craftsmanship and accuracy by creating a statue that with amazing accuracy shows the anatomy of a decomposed body. The monument to Rene de Chalon is installed in one of the niches of the Bar-le-Duc temple and for several centuries amazes visitors with its realism.
Our country is far from last in the number of unusual monuments. We have a monument to happiness, a sculpture created in memory of the letter “ё”, which is less and less used in writing, a monument to a stool, wallet, enema and grater, a lamp, a student, plumber, a shuttle and a beggar. Favorite literary and cartoon characters were immortalized in the sculpture: a kitten from Lizyukova Street, the postman Pechkin, the cat Hippo and Koroviev.