Sculpture, the public art in Germany & England

Hamburg, Germany

I was looking for the Hans Hummel figures around Hamburg. Before Hamburg had a municipal water system, water carriers worked in the city. Johann Wilhelm Bentz (1787-1854) was the last carrier with a bad temper. Local children used to tease him "Hummel, Hummel" (bumblebee for German) and he couldn't run after them so he would just yell "Mors, Mors" ( bad word!!)




I spent 2 weeks at the InterContinental Hotel, just across the Lake Alster. Every morning, I came out from my hotel, said "Good Morning" to this colourful Hans Hummel figure, and walked on the trail that goes around the lake to my office.



This was around the city center.

At the train interchange station

Berlin, Germany

Berlin is the capital city of Germany, named after a bear as “Bar” means bear in German. Besides the flag and coat of arms of Berlin, Berlin International File Festival – one of the worlds’s leading and most reputable media event is famous with the golden bear statue.

Bear is a mascot of Berlin, everywhere on the streets and these are the bears I met :

This bear is different from the standing up bear.

In one of the souvenior shop near Brandenburg Gate, I found this 22 cms tall Berlin bear in Malaysia costume. It is painted tropical rainforest background with hibiscus (national flower of Malaysia), two hornbills and Jalur Gemilang (flag of Malaysia).

55 Euro ( RM 250) is a little too expensive although i really love to bring it back with me.

Bath, England

Bath is a situated 150km west of London. Big Dar and I were at Bath summer 2008 and met a few King Bladud's Pigs. It was a public art event to display 109 decorated pig sculptires around Bath providing residents and visitors with artistic enjoyment.

"Pigabyte" displayed at Orange Grove was sponsored by Backup Direct, a Bath based IT company for small and medium businesses.

"Goldie" displayed near Abbey Churchyard sponsered by Goldies Sing For Life, 47 members of Bath Male Choir. They started the weekly session in Bath in January 2008, and now in the third year. "Goldies" as it has become fondly known, bring smiles each week to hundreds of elderly, isolated and lonely people across the West of England with their fun singing sessions.

The pigs have now all gone from the streets and been sold at auction, for the benefit of Bath's Two Tunnels Project.