A boy in Prague lost his eternal youth. The main attractions in Prague - what to see? Queen Anne's Summer Palace and Royal Gardens

The fountain (Čůrající postavy) is located near the building of the Franz Kafka Museum, which is not exactly a museum in the traditional sense. Rather, it is a traveling exhibition that remains in the city for a fairly long period (about 10 years). Its exposition is located on the territory of the former Gergeta brick factory. Here next to him stands an interesting, simply amazing, sculptural composition.

What is a sculpture

The installation is made in a completely absurd style, in principle, like the works of a brilliant writer. She represents a fountain formed by two men peeing standing opposite each other. Interestingly, the middle part of the sculptures can rotate from side to side. Thanks to this movement, fountains draw various shapes on the water.

The principle of operation of a hi-tech creation

The author of this monument is the sculptor and artist David Cherny. He really created a rather unusual “monument” to men who relieve themselves on the map of the Czech Republic and at the same time “draw” sayings of famous Prague residents around themselves.

The operating principle of this hi-tech creation is very simple. The body parts of the bronze men, whose height is 2 meters 10 centimeters, are moved by electric motors installed inside the men, and they are controlled by a computer. As a result of the operation of the motors, the stream of water also moves, thus creating the outlines of various symbols at the foot of the statues.

The usual “work” of these men, who quote celebrities in such an unusual way, can be suspended. To do this, you need to send a short SMS message from your mobile phone to the number (+420 724 370 770) indicated next to the unusual fountain. A few minutes after receiving the message, men will try to reproduce its contents. It is interesting that the movements of the statues look very natural. This feature of the sculpture attracts everyone's attention. There are always a lot of tourists here.

David Cherny is quite a scandalous person. However, thanks to this unusual and provocative combination of the shameful and the funny, people pay attention to the nearby Kafka Museum. The sculptural composition “Pissing Men,” like many of his works, also caused sharp criticism from the public, but, nevertheless, received the same wide recognition and became another striking landmark of Prague.

01. Fountain "Musicians" on Senovazhnaya Square(sculptor Anna Khroma). Four dancing bronze sculptures represent four rivers: the mandolin sculpture represents the Ganges, the flute sculpture represents the Amazon, the violin sculpture represents the Danube, and the trumpet sculpture represents the Mississippi. The fifth sculpture is an allegory of the Nile River. (To be honest, I didn’t see the fifth one)

02. Sculptures of some special, mysterious beauty. The musicians are naked and covered only with scraps of “bronze fabric”, but their faces are covered.

03.

04.

05. It seemed to me that their wrapped faces symbolize absolute rapture with the sounds of music and disdain for their nakedness

06.

07. "Dancer". You are both a puppeteer and a puppet - brilliant!

08. “Men Pissing” (sculptor David Cherny). They stand in the courtyard of the Franz Kafka Museum, at Cihelna 2b, Prague 1 on Mala Strana. This composition represents two bronze men peeing on a map of the Czech Republic. The provocative sculptures were installed in 2004 and are controlled by a computer that adjusts the rotation of the hips and raises the hips.

09. So, you can even make the statues “write” your own phrase by sending an SMS message from your mobile phone to the number 724 370 770.

10. In general, there are a huge number of naked boys in Prague, and all of them have their private areas polished to a shine. This one stands in the courtyard of the Toy Museum (at Jirska 6, Prague 1)

11.

12. These are probably the most famous figures of babies by the famous Czech master David Cerny. They are called "Babies" and crawl next to the museum on Kampa Island

13. You can climb on them, and no one is chasing anyone

14. Monument to the victims of communism (sculptor Zoubek). Mala Strana, at the foot of Petrin Hill. It consists of a staircase on which there are seven sculptures symbolizing the suffering of a person doomed to death... A depressing sight

15. The theme of religious sculptures also deserves special mention. In addition to the classic statues of the Apostles and many crucifixes, the city has many extraordinary performances, such as Christ made from old shoes (usually these installations are dismantled for the winter, so I didn’t catch it)

16. This is how jokers depicted the crucifixion in the museum at Karlova 2, Prague 1

17.

18. "Commander" at the Estates Theater. This is a monument in honor of the premiere of Mozart's opera Don Giovanni in 1787 (c sculptor Anna Chromi)

19. The “trick” of this character is that under the cloak... there is emptiness. This is also creepy

20. On the facade New Town Hall we meet Rabbi Loew. Legend has it that Death, who could not reach him for a long time, pretended to be a rose and was given to the rabbi by his daughter (now she is always crying next to him). If you don’t know this beautiful story, then all sorts of bad thoughts will come into your head;-P

21. On the other side of the building we are met by the Iron (Black) Knight of Scamp. It seems that the enchanted knight can be bewitched by the prayers of a young virgin (it worked out well, however).

22. A funny shop without legs, occupied by voluptuous musicians. Stands in front of the Inter Continental Hotel (on Pařížská street)

23. Very touching guys are standing on one of the platforms of the Prague Main Station ( Wilsonova 300/8, Prague)

24. On the embankment, next to the Kampa Museum, Sri Chinmoy stands and blesses the river buses passing by

25. Kafka is everywhere. This one is located at Praha 1, Dusni 141/12

26. "Sigmund Freud, the hanging intellectual" (with sculptor David Cherny). Plastic and epoxy resin sculpture symbolizes disconnection intelligentsia from the people.

27. A detached look and a hand in his pocket somehow hints that the comrade is completely indifferent to his safety, and in general, he has a philosophical attitude towards issues of life and death

28. Another interesting object “hovering” over Prague. Golden bone... (no comment)

29. And this sweetest car on human legs is called “Quo vadis - People's Car of the GDR “Trabant”” and stands in the courtyard of the German Embassy ( Vlašská 19, Prague 1, Malá Strana).

30. Prague boasts many lovely maidens. For example, this lady lights the way with her stone torches on one of the supports of the Chekhov Bridge

31.

32. In general, naked young maidens everywhere sparkle with their charms on the facades of Prague houses

33. Sexy madam sphinx lies against the wall of the Rudolfinum building (from the embankment side) at Alšovo nábřeží 79/12

34. And this person is waiting for visitors on the corner of the Three Angels house, in one of the alleys near Old Town Square

35. Some fabulous little frog is thoughtfully smoking a pipe on the pier. They corrected me here in the comments: “this is not a frog, but Vodnik, that is, Vodyanoy. There are several places in Prague where it is believed that Vodyanoy can live. One is this, on the Chertovka canal (next to the wheel of the water mill), the other - under the rocks of Vysehrad, there are others"

36. Another option for contemporary art in Prague is street art. For example, a whole orchestra of colored wire figures. They are standing at some cafe on the river, right behind the lock (from the Visegrad side)

37.

38. Every city has its own Tsoi Wall;-) In Prague, it bears the name of John Lennon and, at the same time, is the wall of the Maltese Garden (address Velkopřevorské nám.). Our VKontash dog is right there

39.

40. Graffiti in the passages is very colorful and cheerful. It’s curious that no one will spoil them with other inscriptions

41.

42.

43.

44. And this is my favorite “Embryo” by my beloved David Cerny. A sculpture resembling a human fetus," created in 1996 from metal, plastic and epoxy resin. It "grew" on the corner of the facade of the Na Zabradli theater building at Anenske Namesti 5, Prague 1, stuck to a drainpipe like an extraterrestrial creature from a science fiction film.

45.

46. At night, this something flickers moon-pink... If you don’t know that this is special, you can get a heart attack. Brrrrr!

47. The “Guns” exhibition in the courtyard of the AMoYA - Artbanka Museum of Young Art (the same David Cherny) consists of four suspended pistols, the muzzle of each of which is directed to the center

48. Glamor bomb - wow, this is adorable!!

49. Forged sign in front of the entrance to one of the many Prague hotels in the city center

50. And this bar made two minnows its totem and hung a couple above the entrance

51. Uh, “pink sheep”... no comment again

52. Window-node - it’s so Prague ;-)

Everyone knows about the beauty of Old Prague and its numerous historical monuments. What can you say about contemporary works of art in the Czech capital? What unusual art objects are there in Prague and where can you see them?

There are many modern exhibits at exhibitions and in Prague museums, but we will look at works of art that are in the open air. Let's talk about modern monuments on the streets of Prague. Of the ten most popular street statues, seven were created by the notorious sculptor David Černý.

“Horse” (Kůň), 1999

“Babies” on the TV tower

Ten giant “negros” – 3.5 m each – were installed on a building in the Zizkov district of Prague. Black, shiny and faceless crawling babies were made by the sculptor back in the 90s, but there was no suitable place to place them. In 2000, Prague was declared a European cultural center. In honor of this event, Cerny, who lived on Žižkov at that time, placed the “little ones” on the TV tower. For a whole year and a half he chose a specific place for each figure.

Not all residents and guests of Prague liked “Babies”. In 2009, on one well-known Czech tourism portal, the Žižkov TV tower with “babies” was named the second ugliest building in the world. The tower is located at: Prague 3 – Žižkov; Mahlerovy sady 2699/1.

Three similar bronze babies are installed on the island.

"Pissing Men" performed by Cerny, 2004

Many people have seen “Pissing Boys” as fountains, and the public will not be surprised by this. David Cerny went even further. He has men peeing (Čurající fontána) - mannequins of fully mature husbands, each 210 cm high, controlled by an electronic device that allows you to rotate your hips and raise your penis so that the flow of water on the surface of a lake in the shape of the Czech Republic writes letters. While doing their usual “work,” men are quoted by celebrities in an unusual way. The “creativity” of these original fountains can be ordered in advance by sending the corresponding SMS to +420 724 370 770. And the desired phrase will be (literally!) “written.”

The fountains are located in the courtyard.
Address: Prague – 1; Cihelna 2.

"Suspended" (Viselec), 1999

In this case, Cerny “hung” the statue of Sigmund Freud to a height of 220 cm. The unfortunate sculpture of the eminent psychologist hangs from the roof on one hand (Socha Sigmunda Freuda visícího za jednu ruku) on Husova Street. This figure has repeatedly visited various exhibitions around the world. In 2007 she exhibited in Chicago. There, the work of David Cerny caused quite a stir. In the darkness, a realistic figure was mistaken for a person in trouble, and they tried to call rescuers to him.

"Where are you going?" (Quo vadis?), 1990

The sculpture of a Trabant car walking on human legs is dedicated to refugees from the former GDR. Before the fall of the Berlin Wall, East Germans fled en masse to Prague in their Trabants (they did not need a Czech visa). These people abandoned their cars near the German Embassy and went to ask for political asylum. In the park of the German Embassy in the Lobkovickém paláci in Prague, this funny monument has been erected since 2001.

Cars on the facade of "MeetFactory"

Two red cars decorate the MeetFactory cultural center

MeetFactory is the building of David Cerny's studio - a multifunctional cultural center. Two more red cars are suspended vertically on its façade. The studio is located in a former railway depot in the Smichov district.
Address: Prague 5; Ke sklarne 15.

“Toadying” or “Brown-nosing”

The English play on words "Brown-nosing" is clear to most people without explanation. This installation was installed in the Futura gallery (at the exhibition of contemporary art). Two huge naked statues (or rather, their lower parts) stand leaning at a right angle. Climbing the stairs, you can look into each figure's... very essence. There, inside, there is a video with Vaclav Klaus and Milan Knizak. Prominent political and cultural figures eat porridge there!

The gallery is located at: Prague 5; Holečkova 49.

A six-meter statue of a chair stands at the entrance to the Jana a Medy Mládkových museum. Magdalena Etelova, a Czech sculptor, created a four-meter sculpture in the 1980s. It was installed at the gateway of the Vltava River and one day was destroyed by a flood. At the Fine-Industrial School, in 2003, they made a new – six-meter version of the “Chair”. They installed it in the same place. She weighs 8 tons, and rising water will no longer harm her.

"Penguins" at Re-Evolution

The penguin figurines are part of the Re-Evolution exhibition, owned by (a project of the art group Cracking Art Group). They are made from recycled plastic bottles and stand by the river, near the “Chair” we already know. At night, the formation of 34 yellow penguins (žlutých tučňáků) is illuminated. That's very beautiful!

"Victims of Communism"

The Memorial “Victims of Communism” (Pomník obětem komunismu) was opened near Újezd Street in 2002. Authors: sculptor O. Zubek; architects: Z. Holzel and J. Kerel.

This memorial of seven statues represents the indestructible political prisoners of the communist rule of 1948-1989. Thin, almost ethereal figures mournfully walk up the stairs and seem to disappear into space. There is a bronze plaque in the center of the monument. It indicates the number of victims of the communist regime.

How can I save up to 20% on hotels?

It’s very simple - look not only on booking. I prefer the search engine RoomGuru. He searches for discounts simultaneously on Booking and on 70 other booking sites.

Today is a story about unusual sculptures and monuments of Prague. Their number and variety of styles are impressive: from classic to modern, from spiritual to outright provocation. They really brighten up a walk around the city and if you meet them again, you consider them your old acquaintances!
01. Fountain "Musicians" on Senovazhnaya Square(sculptor Anna Khroma). Four dancing bronze sculptures represent four rivers: the mandolin sculpture represents the Ganges, the flute sculpture represents the Amazon, the violin sculpture represents the Danube, and the trumpet sculpture represents the Mississippi. The fifth sculpture is an allegory of the Nile River. (To be honest, I didn’t see the fifth one)

02. Sculptures of some special, mysterious beauty. The musicians are naked and covered only with scraps of “bronze fabric”, but their faces are covered.

03.

04.

05. It seemed to me that their wrapped faces symbolize absolute rapture with the sounds of music and disdain for their nakedness

06.

07. "Dancer". You are both a puppeteer and a puppet - brilliant!

09. So, you can even make the statues “write” your own phrase by sending an SMS message from your mobile phone to the number 724 370 770.

11.

12. These are probably the most famous figures of babies by the famous Czech master David Cerny. They are called "Babies" and crawl next to the museum on Kampa Island

13. You can climb on them, and no one is chasing anyone

16. This is how jokers depicted the crucifixion at the AMoYA - Artbanka Museum of Young Art at Karlova 2, Prague 1

17.

18. "Commander" at the Estates Theater. This is a monument in honor of the premiere of Mozart's opera Don Giovanni in 1787 (c sculptor Anna Chromi)

19. The “trick” of this character is that under the cloak... there is emptiness. This is also creepy

22. A funny shop without legs, occupied by voluptuous musicians

23. Very touching guys are standing on one of the platforms of the Prague Main Station ( Wilsonova 300/8, Prague)

24. On the embankment, next to the Kampa Museum, the Dalai Lama stands and blesses the river buses passing by

25. Kafka is everywhere. This one is located at Praha 1, Dusni 141/12

26. "Sigmund Freud, the hanging intellectual" (with sculptor David Cherny). Plastic and epoxy resin sculpture symbolizes disconnection intelligentsia from the people.

27. A detached look and a hand in his pocket somehow hints that the comrade is completely indifferent to his safety, and in general, he has a philosophical attitude towards issues of life and death

28. Another interesting object “hovering” over Prague. Golden bone... (no comment)

29. And this sweetest car on human legs is called “Quo vadis - People's Car of the GDR “Trabant”” and stands in the courtyard of the German Embassy ( Vlašská 19, Prague 1, Malá Strana).

30. Prague boasts many lovely maidens. For example, this lady lights the way with her stone torches on one of the supports of the Chekhov Bridge

31.

32. In general, naked young maidens everywhere sparkle with their charms on the facades of Prague houses

33.

34.

35. Some fabulous frog thoughtfully smokes a pipe on the pier

36. Another option for contemporary art in Prague is street art. For example, a whole orchestra of colored wire figures

37.

39.

40. Graffiti in the passages is very colorful and cheerful. It’s curious that no one will spoil them with other inscriptions

41.

42.

43.