Public art fascinates me. We often can’t resist posing with statues for a bit of fun. It turns out we are not the only ones who like to create interactive statues from a simple city sculpture.
We have lots of friends who do it too. To create this collection, we asked travel bloggers around the world to share their favourite quirky statues and sculptures.
Well, we should have been more specific in what we were looking for. We got so many fun and fabulous quirky statues we had to create two collections.
This page marks the clean-cut funny statues, as well as those featuring people posing with statues.
I separated out the “naughty, but not nasty” sculptures and shared them as Oversized and Undressed. The rest are here. While I took some of the photos, other bloggers contributed the vast majority, providing both captions and images.
People posing with statues from the Americas
Posing with statues in the USA
San Francisco, California
Contributed by Carole Terwilliger Meyers of Weekend Adventures Update.
My friend, John Briggs, falls into line with the self-portrait ceramic sculpture–“California Artist” (1982)–by the late California artist Robert Arneson, at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin USA
Contributed by Hannah of GettingStamped.
One of my favourite things to do in Milwaukee is to walk along the riverfront. Right on the river, across from Rock Bottom Brewery, is the bronze Fonz statue, aka Fonzie from the Happy Days TV show airing in the 1970s. Fonzie is wearing his typical outfit, complete with his two-handed thumbs up. Happy Days is about a 1950’s family from Milwaukee hence why the statue is in Milwaukee!
Bareback in Central America
San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua
Contributed by Dane of Holiday From Where.
This is not really the biggest statue, but it was in the middle of nowhere in Nicaragua. It was a dirt road for kilometres to this small secluded beach, and then there was just this majestic white horse standing on its hind legs with the Jesus statue in the background.
Posing with statues in Canada
Churchill, Canada
Contributed by Amanda O’Brian of The Boutique Adventure.
Churchill is a very small town in the north of Canada that is known as the Polar Bear Capital of the world. Every year this town receives a huge influx of visitors across October and November to witness the movements of polar bears from their inland hibernation to the shore of the Churchill River.
Visitors go out in giant tundra buggies to witness these animals in their natural environment – an ice and snow safari so to speak! Misbehaving polar bears end up in the nearby Polar Bear prison! Churchill contains all things polar bears such as this statue in the middle of town.
Montreal, Canada
Contributed by Barbara Wagner.
The photo portrays a group of 65 statues by Raymond Mason in the city of Montreal, Canada. It is located just outside the main gate of McGill University. The installation is called The Illuminated Crowd, and you can see people of all ages, races, facial expressions, and conditions. The statue illustrates the degradation of the human race and symbolizes the fragility of the human condition.
Funny poses with statues from down under
We are a family of people who seem to love posing with statues. Here are two from us whilst in Australia:
The first is shot outside the church in Fremantle. This statue of an artist creating a painting from an invisible model on an empty stool was too tempting for hubby. However, he looks like he belongs. Read more about our day in Fremantle.
Similarly, my daughter Sarah couldn’t resist reading over the shoulder of this unidentified man. This one was taken in Sydney just before we sailed out of Sydney Harbour on the Radiance of the Seas.
Statue poses from Europe
Bratislava, Slovakia
Photo by Jorge Bastos of Couple RTW.
Bratislava is a city full of weird statues, some of them notoriously fun and straightforward weird. Our favourite and probably the most famous and unique is the Cumil (The watcher). There are two explanations for the statue: the first says he represents the typical communist-era worker who doesn’t work, the second is just looking up women’s skirts.
Tallinn Estonia
Contributed by Rohan Cahill-Fleury of Travels of a Bookpacker.
“This is my boyfriend in Tallinn, Estonia whilst on a road trip through the Baltics. We saw this bull and couldn’t resist stopping for a chat! It’s made of bronze and was made in 2011 for the steakhouse it sits in front of in the old town. Its name is ‘Black Angus’.”
More from Europe
Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina
Contributed by Anastasia of Gallivant Girl.
Mostar is a bright and beautiful city, but its streets still bear scars of its not so distant war-torn past. One of the city’s quirkier attractions is the shiny golden statue of kung fu legend, Bruce Lee, found in the Zrinjski City Park. In a project spearheaded by the youth group Mostar Urban Movement, the unusual monument unveiled in 2005 was the world’s first Bruce Lee statue.
Bruce Lee was chosen to symbolise the fight against ethnic divisions in a divided city – beating out the Pope, and even Gandhi. According to Veselin Gatalo from the Mostar Urban Movement, “We will always be Muslims, Serbs or Croats, but one thing we all have in common is Bruce Lee.”
My family having fun with statues in Europe
Ring of Kerry, Ireland.
I noticed this statue of Charlie Chaplin as we drove by, and we had to turn around just to get this photo. It’s a rare photo of a blond me. Here’s more from our road trip driving around Ireland.
Spain
We spent a lot of time in Spain and had two home exchanges. First was in Palamos, second in La Coruña. These two interactive statues / sculpture photos are in the same order.
Oslo, Norway
Our teen poses alongside one of the over 200 sculptures by the famed Norwegian artist Gustav Vigeland. Located in Oslo at Vigeland Park, his various artworks depict the full range of the human life cycle from birth to old age. Vigeland Park is the world’s largest sculpture park made by a single artist.
A note of caution on posing with statues
Be sensitive to cultural norms and religious beliefs.
We were once told off and forced to erase photos when we posed behind a statue in Greece. Our idea was to put one of our heads on top of a headless goddess. This did not go over well.
Quirky statues (sorry, no posing with statues here)
Europe
London, England
Contributed by Suze of Luxury Columnist
Would you give this sculpture a thumbs up? “Really Good” by David Shrigley is a 7-metre-high statue on the Fourth Plinth in Leicester Square, London. The sculptor has said that it’s about making the world a better place, and it certainly seems popular with passers-by!
Berlin, Germany
Contributed by Barbara Wagner
Famous American graffiti artist Keith Haring had a strong connection to Berlin, especially after illegally painting on the Berlin Wall in 1986. His statue The Boxers is still displayed today. It portrays two steel men fighting, although it looks more like they are embracing each other rather than fighting. You cannot observe any aggression in the statue. One of the characters is red; the other one is blue. The statue is almost 5 meters tall. It is part of the Art in Public Spaces collection in Berlin. Haring created the statue in 1987 in Berlin, and it has been displayed in the city every since.
More quirky statues in Europe
Pristina, Kosovo
Contributed by Michelle of Cheeky Passports
You may be wondering why Kosovo, Europe’s newest country is such a fan of Bill Clinton. The capital city Pristina contains not only a three-metre-high statue of Clinton but also an avenue named after him and a large billboard with his image. All have been created as recognition to the former US president for his help during Kosovo’s war towards achieving independence. Clinton travelled to Kosovo in 2009 to deliver a speech at which point the statue was unveiled. Look for a boutique called Hillary close to the statue!
Prague, Czech Republic
Contributed by Luke Marlin of Backstreet Nomad travel
These epic statues guard the entrance of Prague Castle in the Czech Republic, presumably to intimidate all who enter. I love that the statues are so unique in that they are unnecessarily, graphically, and mercilessly violent. A far cry from the valiance often portrayed in historical statues.
One more in Europe, from one of our favourite sculptures
Barcelona, Spain
Contributed by Gábor Kovács of Surfing the Planet
This statue, situated in the Rambla del Raval is a work by Fernando Botero, the famous Colombian sculptor from Medellín. Botero is well known for creating pieces of exaggerated character, either in size or in some other aspect. The cat sculpture, referred to simply as Gato arrived in Barcelona in 1987, and the sculpture had different locations in the city before finally landing in its present site. This chubby cat sculpture made of bronze has become one of the most known sculptures of Barcelona and a very popular meeting point for young people.
If you love this one, don’t miss these oversized statues.
Quirky statues in Australia
Melbourne, Australia
Sculpture Ophelia by Deborah Halpern is an icon of the trendy Southbank of Melbourne. It’s a city filled with exciting and colourful art.
Israel’s quirky statues
Jaffa, Israel
Contributed by Corinne Vail of Reflections Enroute
We had been traipsing around a very old, established neighbourhood in the city of Jaffa when we happened upon this whimsical statue. It made us smile.
Jerusalem, Israel
Contributed by Claudia Tavani of My Adventures Across the World
Not a proper statue but a fun art installation, these poppy flowers are found in Jerusalem, the capital of Israel, and they are located right opposite the busy and colourful Mahane Yehuda market. In theory, the petals should open up when people move below them, but when a bunch of friends and I tried to walk, dance or jump under it, hardly anything happened. Either way, they are interesting to see.
More quirky statues in Asia
Kep, Cambodia
Contributed by Edwina Dendler of Traveling German
The little seaside town of Kep, Cambodia, is famous for its crabs. The crab market is its main attraction, and both tourists and locals flock there in the mornings to buy the catch of the day, often eating right there at the market, freshly boiled and served with rice and mango salad. So when neighbouring Kampot (whose fresh peppercorns are the perfect accompaniment to Kep’s crabs, by the way) adorned its streets with a Durian statue, Kep responded by putting up this giant crab statue – and where better to place a crab statue than in the water?
Hong Kong
Contributed by Marianne Rogerson of Mum on the Move
Visiting the Tian Tan Buddha, aka the Big Buddha, frequently features on people’s Hong Kong bucket lists. One of the largest seated Buddhas in the world at 34 metres high, the Big Buddha is made entirely of bronze. You have to climb 268 steps to reach the Buddha, but the feeling of being so close to this enormous statue is worth it. Half the fun in visiting the Big Buddha is getting there – via a 25-minute cable car journey aboard the Ngong Ping 360, which offers spectacular views out over the South China Sea.
North American quirky statues
New York City, New York, USA
I saw this one near Central Park in New York City, but don’t know anything about it, other than I liked it.
Cramahe, Ontario, Canada
Contributed by Danie of Like Riding a Bicycle
This is one of the oldest statues I’ve found on my travels and is quite simply called the Big Apple. As you cruise down the highway between Toronto and Ottawa, there stands a giant apple luring you and your curiosity in. Next door is actually a shop that sells the most delicious apple pies you’ve ever tasted, but the apple itself is just a big ol’ apple!
More street art you might like
Do you enjoy posing with statues for photos, or do you shoot the object as it was created?
Lucinda
These were great! I love public art of all types – I just wish more of them had a plaque explaining them, I find the reasons behind them so interesting. I was surprised that you found the “Big Apple” odd – here in Australia, we love “Big” things, it would fit right in. We have the Big Orange, Big Pineapple, Big Mango (all in Queensland), Big Banana (Coffs Harbour, NSW), and about a thousand others. I think having your photo taken in front of the Big Banana is a right of passage for every east coast kid!
Rhonda Albom
All that giant fruit in Queensland. There is also a giant apple on the South Island of New Zealand.
Michele {Malaysian Meanders}
I would have never guessed that there was a statue of Bruce Lee in Mostar. My favorites are the Sculpture Ophelia and The Boxers (always a fan of Haring’s work). If I came across that white horse in the middle of nowhere, I’d take a photo, too.
Rhonda Albom
LOL – I would never have guessed that either, but you never know what you will find around every corner of the world.
Elaine J Masters
Such a fun collection. I have seen some beauties in my travels but few of these! It’s always entertaining to see how people interact with the statues, becoming part of the artwork or a commentary. Can’t wait to find more like the cool Salmon fountain in Esther Short Park, Vancouver Washington and watching the teenagers climbing up to sit on top of the biggest.
Rhonda Albom
We were in Washington towards the end of last year, but missed this park.
tom the backroads traveller
…what fun things!
Rhonda Albom
And creative photographers.
Sianna
Such an interesting topic for an article! Definitely a fun read! I have seen the coming out of the ground statues in a few European cities.
My favourite is probably the dwarves statues in Wroclaw. They are literally everywhere!
Rhonda Albom
I haven’t been to Wroclaw, nor have I seen any of the sewer statues in person. I would love to, as I find them so clever.
Sami
Great statues!!
I just know 3 of them – Statue of Liberty, the one in Melbourne and the one in Fremantle (Perth).
Rhonda Albom
It’s fun to spot them around the world.
Jessica @ Independent Travel Cats
Some great statues and pieces of art! I love the cat in Barcelona – we were just there recently and I took a lot of photos of it!
Rhonda Albom
I don’t know how we missed it when we were there, unless it was installed later.
Debbie @ Travel Intent
What a fun post Rhonda – a great idea. Fonz was one of my favourites too – didn’t know it had been set in Milwaukee
Rhonda Albom
How can you not smile when you see Fonzie, ‘aaaaa’
Kreete
The famous statue in Slovakia with the guy in the sewer reminds me of the harsh reality in Poland during the WWII where the Old Town’s defenders and the civil population disappeared “mysteriously” at the end of August 1944 before the German occupiers during the Warsaw Uprising through the towns sewer system. The Bull in Estonia is probably the only one of them, that I have seen. Great post!
Rhonda Albom
You probably have hit on another reason explanation of the Slovakia statue.
Lara Dunning
I enjoy street art too. And, “hey,” who doesn’t dig The Fonz? The bull in Estonia reminds me of the Ellensburg Bull in Ellensburg, WA. You can’t help but want to sit down next to it.
Rhonda Albom
We have so many photos of members of our family sitting down next to statues that are seated on a bench. I could have done an entire post of just that.
Emilyann
Ha! These are too good. I think my favorite is the white horse. 🙂
Rhonda Albom
The white horse seems to be quite popular.
Harvey (H-Bomb's Worldwide Karaoke)
The only times I’ve ever done purposeful poses with public statues involved the Christo Redentor statue in Rio (you can guess what my pose was), and the hedgehog statue in Kiev (for which I tried to imitate its facial expression). Of the ones in this post, I like the Charlie Chaplin one and the seated bull in Tallinn (which somehow I missed when I was in that city; maybe it didn’t exist yet in 2006). Also, Bosnia & Herzegovina is the last place I’d expect to find a Bruce Lee statue. I’ve seen one in Hong Kong, which seems much less surprising. Lastly, the sculpture you saw in NYC is almost certainly a knock-off of the famous 1930s photo of construction workers eating lunch on a beam high above the ground. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunch_atop_a_Skyscraper
Rhonda Albom
The locations of the Bruce Lee and Bill Clinton surprised me the most. As for the last one, yes, I am sure it is related to the famous photo.
Holly
These are awesome. I like the horse and the one where the guy is coming out the manhole. I don’t recall noticing the ones in Prague.
Rhonda Albom
I thought the horse was pretty cool. I really liked the creative photography to give the appearance of standing on the horse, without actually doing so.
Tracy
Some great statues and some great poses! I have a few posing ones I must admit lol!!!
Rhonda Albom
Sometimes it’s just too tempting. We have lots of them. I could have done the entire post on my own.
Jackie Junkboat Travels
I just so happen to have some statues in my post this week from Mazatlan Mexico.
I have seen many that you posted, ring of Kerry, Bratislava, Milwaukee, Statue of Liberty. I haven’t seen the Spanish ones, don’t know how I missed the one in Melbourne. AND often drive by the Big Apple!!!!!
I now need to go see the NYC one of the workers sitting on the beam.
Rhonda Albom
They are fun to find, and more fun to pose with.
Molly
Oh these are all brilliant. I love the one with the newspaper
Mollyx
Jim ~ ReflectionsEnroute
This is a great roundup of fantastic statues! And thanks for including Corinne’s shot from Jaffa. #wkendtravelinspiration
Rhonda Albom
It was actually quite fun to put together.
David @Travelsewhere
Such a fun list to look through and so great to see so many pieces of public art about. In all my visits to Sydney, I don’t think I’ve seen that statue before somehow. Do like the ones in Bratislava though. I could have sworn they relocated that one from another spot a few blocks away, which makes it even more fun.
Rhonda Albom
I wish I could remember exactly where we took that shot in Sydney. We were staying Hyde Park that trip, and would have walked to the Rocks and Circular Quay, plus everywhere else. We don’t get a car in Sydney.
Jeff Albom
I found it. It’s in Australia Square.
Rob+Ann
These are fantastic! All of them are cool, but The Fonz? Really? Definitely top of the heap for us! 🙂 In reading this, we realized the many missed photo opportunities we’ve had, and are resolved to not miss them going forward. We’re even thinking of going back to Minneapolis just to get a picture with Mary Tyler Moore! Fun post – thanks for sharing!
Rhonda Albom
I was really excited about the Fonz too. And Mary Tyler Moore, if you get it, send it to me and I will add it here.
Susan
What a fun post to read, examine, and re-examine!
Milly Youngman
I love statues and particularly how people interact with them! I recently went to Budapest, and there were loads there that we liked – I have a shot of my boyfriend shaking hands with ‘Ronald Reagan’!
Rhonda Albom
The interaction is really fun. We also had a blast at one of the wax museums doing similar interacting.
Rhonda Albom
So many fun opportunities.
Wandermust mummy
I know it’s a cliche but I love the statue of liberty
Rhonda Albom
Me too, that’s why she is here.
Sally's Tips 4 Trips
These days just about every town has their own quirky statue. I love how all these photos show how to have fun with these mini-attractions.
Rhonda Albom
That was the idea, I am just glad the post worked out.
Lyn aka The Travelling Lindfields
You are not the only one who has been fooled by public art. I have looked twice at more than one statute, thinking they were a real person. Where is the one in Sydney? I don’t think I have ever seen it. I must hunt it down.
Rhonda Albom
Glad to know I am not the only one. Sorry, I can’t remember where I took that shot. It was a couple of years ago, as Sarah was there too. We always stay downtown, and we are always on foot.
Jeff Albom
I found it Lyn. It’s in Australia Square.
Anda
What a great idea for a post, Rhonda. We all come across these “interactive” statues on our travels and we all want to take some funny, suggestive pictures with them. I’ve seen some great photographs with statues like these.
Rhonda Albom
My girls love these statues and never miss a chance to pose in some fun way, .
Lyn @ A Hole in my Shoe
Another great fun post Rhonda. I have only seen four of these so clearly I need to keep moving.
Rhonda Albom
Where are you headed next?
Lydia C. Lee
What a fun idea. Cute post!
Suze
Thanks very much for featuring my thumb shot! This article makes me want to go and visit all those statues. There’s also a Charlie Chaplin statue on the waterfront in Vevey, Switzerland as he lived there for many years.
Sharon
What a fun idea! I was going to choose a favorite, but I just can’t decide. I do love the Charlie Chaplin photo, and the one of your teen is fantastic! What an inspiring post!
Jo
These are brilliant! I love the interactions with the statues I’m going to do that with my kids wherever we go next! It’s easy to walk past statues but I love this idea so we wont be doing that any more! #wkendtravelinspiration
Rhonda Albom
And kids are so creative when they do this. You will be surprised.
Ruth
Rhonda, what a fun post! I laugh at some of those. The big apple one is crazy. Statues add a touch of quirky and a zest of life to a lot of places. I love bumping into interesting ones. #TPThursday
Laura
This was a fun read! I especially loved the sculpture of the sculptor in Freemantle.
Rhonda Albom
We had fun with that one from Fremantle. Hubby isn’t usually so quick to hop into a photo. That one just called to him.
Sandee
I like the horse the very best. Wow, it’s beautiful.
I look at these statues, but never photograph them. We aren’t much for pictures here. No one ever wants me to take photographs. Ever.
Have a fabulous day. ☺
Rhonda Albom
I like the way he posed himself in the grass to look like he is standing on the horses back.
jill
Very entertaining! My family didn’t travel much when I was younger so I was surprised when my husband and I went to visit his brother. We were touring downtown Newport when my brother-in-law jumped up into a statue of a wave and acted like he was surfing. I was shocked – and a bit appalled – I thought he would get arrested. That’s when I learned posing like or with statues was a thing. Now whenever I travel, I pose with statues – and so do my kids! Now that they’re grown, I love seeing some of their whimsical poses. Such fun.
Rhonda Albom
It’s not always okay. We got in a bit of trouble in Greece for standing behind a headless goddess to give the appearance that our head was on her shoulders. Security forced us to erase our images.
Lexa Cain
Loved the beautiful ones and the whimsical ones too, especially the worker in the ground and the very strange fountain. Thanks for the pics!
Rhonda Albom
The worker in the ground is definitely one of my favourites, that’s why I led with it.
Trekking with Becky
Very cool! 🙂 I’ve never seen or heard of most of these statues.
Rhonda Albom
LOL – I hadn’t either.
Alex J. Cavanaugh
Why would anyone make a statue of Clinton?
The crab one is oddest for its placement alone.
Rhonda Albom
LOL – That was my initial thought as well. However, the blogger who contributed it explained it very well.
Mary {The World Is A Book}
What a great collection and idea! These were so fun to look at and really put a smile to my face. My kids love doing these poses to many statues we’ve encountered all over the world.
Rhonda Albom
My girls love to do this too. I could have made this post with just our family, but I thought it would be more fun this way.
Paul F. Pietrangelo
You know that I didn’t realize that there were so many amazing wonderful sculptures around us. Thanks to you Rhonda, I’m so pleased to have an opportunity to view them. I’ll keep checking in on your blog because it’s so great. See ya my friend.
Cruisin Paul
Rhonda Albom
LOL-that is one of the reasons I like to do collaborative posts, to see and share the variety that is out there.
Photo(Geo)grapher
Very interesting places and wonderful sculptures. Great post!
Rhonda Albom
The travel blogging community have been everywhere.
Tanja (the Red phone box travels)
I’ve seen the ones in Bratislava and Prague:) the one at Trafalgar square in London isn’t permanent:) they change it often:)
Rhonda Albom
How fun that you have seen a few of these. I love artwork that changes, I think people spend more time noticing it, as it might not be there next time you go by.
Hilary Melton-Butcher
Hi Rhonda – loved seeing the range of sculptures and places … fun … while the Churt Sculpture Park is now on my radar screen …
Cheers Hilary
Rhonda Albom
I hope you take lots of photos when you go 🙂
Lolo
Haha these are some awesome and funny statues! I love the one of the Fonz! That was a favorite TV show of mine as a kid! #Wkendtravelinspiration
Rhonda Albom
I was pretty excited when I saw the Fonz also. I loved Happy Days when I was younger.