Commissioning an artist to build a statue or sculpture is a commitment often beyond our own lifetimes. Unless intentionally demolished, these works of art can almost last forever. In fact, the oldest know life-sized statue, called the Urfa Man, dates back to 9,000 B.C.
So with that in mind, here are some of the oddest sculptures and weirdest statues from around the world. It will make you wonder both who would make this and who would pay someone to make this?
Grab your camera and say… cheese WTF?! Here are some of the weirdest statues and sculptures from around the world.
The Creepy Crab Guy
Haw Par Villa in Singapore is a theme park with hundreds of bizarre statues depicting stories from ancient Chinese folklore. The strange collection of weird statues includes quite a few human beings mixed with animals like this statue of a creepy crab boy.
“The Big Giving” – Vomiting And Pissing Rock Statues
Between 2006 and 2007, there was a weird art installation called “The Big Giving” outside the Royal Festival Hall in South Bank, London. The installation by Klaus Weber consisted of three rock sculptures with human heads and hands that were vomiting, pissing, and spitting water. How many mothers heard their kids say this, “Look mommy, she’s peeing!”
The 25 Weirdest Statues And Sculptures From Around The World Share on X“Piss” – Just Two Guys Standing In Their Own Puddle Of Piss
Outside the Franz Kafka museum in Prague, Czech Republic is a statue called “Piss” by Czech artist David Černý. “Piss” depicts two guys peeing while standing in a puddle of their own piss. The bottom of the fountain is even colored yellow.
Ancient Chinese Woman Breastfeeding A Deer
This statue in the Chinese city of Fengdu, is one of the weirdest statues on this list. It depicts a naked woman with vampire teeth breastfeeding a deer. But as weird as this statue may appear, it fits in perfectly in Fengdu. The strange city located at the northern end of the Yangtze River attracts tourists from all over China to learn about ancient Chinese culture and the afterlife.
“Fountains Of Virtues” – The Bronze Lactating Ladies
Much to the confusion of teenage boys, this bronze statue in Nuremberg, Germany depicts several ladies with water shooting out of their nipples. The “Fountains Of Virtues” have been lactating water since 1589.
“Campos Gerais Monument” – The Cocozão (Big Poop)
This sculpture, located outside the entrance of the State University of Ponta Grossal in Brazil, was built to honor the Campos Gerais National Park. The strange shape of the art piece was intended to be a pine cone or a rock. Instead, it was nicknamed “cocozão” by locals which means “big poop” in Portuguese.
The controversial fountain no longer exists. While city officials were removing a bee infestation inside the sculpture, it caught on fire and had to be demolished.
“The Headington Shark” – Someone Put A Shark In The Roof Of Their House?!
“The Headington Shark” is a rooftop sculpture on a private home in Oxford, England. It was commissioned by the home’s owner, a local radio personality in 1986.
The 25 Weirdest Statues And Sculptures From Around The World Share on X“The Sunbather” – Ugly Pink Sculpture Inspires New Laws Restricting Art Installations In New York City
In 2016, after three years of intense debate, a sculpture called “Sunbather” by Israeli artist Ohad Meromi was installed in the middle of Jackson Avenue in Long Island City, Queens.
To say residents “hate” the sculpture would be an understatement. The eight-foot-tall 400-pound bronze sculpture is covered in hot pink auto paint and has been compared to something a preschooler might create with(Amazon link) Play-Doh. And once when everyone found out about the $515,000 price tag, an intense public outrage erupted that lead to legislation preventing unwanted artwork from ever being installed in New York City again. The new law requires public consultation on all projects run by Percent for Art, an initiative that uses 1% of New York City’s annual budget to commission public artwork displays.
Unfortunately for Ohad Meromi, the public’s dislike for the “Sunbather” will be how this sculpture is remembered. Perhaps the “Sunbather” would have fit in better at a museum, sculpture park, or a neighborhood like Dumbo in Brooklyn.
The 25 Weirdest Statues And Sculptures From Around The World Share on X“Seagull Cinderella” – Yes, This Seagull Sculpture Has Boobs?!
Seagull Cinderella is a sculpture by Donna Dodson in New Bedford, Massachusetts. The sculpture is polarizing and has both a petition for its removal and a Facebook fan page. Seagull Cinderella prompted one Twitter user to declare, “Yo that’s a seagull with boobs.”
“The Kindlifresserbrunnen” – Weird Statue Of An Ogre Eating Children
The Kindlifresserbrunnen, (Child-Eater) fountain in Bern, Switzerland oddly depicts a fat man eating a bag of babies. Yum! This statue has been giving children in Switzerland nightmares since 1545.
“Bad Bad Boy” – Statue Of A Boy Peeing
“Bad Bad Boy” is an 8.5 meters tall concrete sculpture by artist Tommi Toija that was first unveiled in August 2014. It depicts a surprised and blushing boy who was caught urinating.
The 7.5-ton statue was commissioned by the Amos Anderson Art Museum and is located at Helsinki’s West Harbour, just outside the Helsinki Computer and Game Console Museum in Finland (map).
Upside Down Charles La Trobe Statue
This contemporary upside-down monument to Charles La Trobe in central Melbourne, Australia, was removed at the end of June 2006 and has been acquired by La Trobe University in Australia.
Charles La Trobe is known for his leadership in forming Australia’s Mechanic’s Institute, the Royal Melbourne Hospital, the Royal Philharmonic, the Melbourne Cricket Ground, and the University of Melbourne.
“Parable With Skull” – Statue Of A Giant Skull “Riding” A Naked Man
This statue of a giant skull on the back of a naked man is called “Parable With Skull” and was created by Jaroslaw Rona. Not sure what the symbolism is here. If you want to see “Parable With Skull” in person, the statue is located at Prague Castle in Prague, Czech Republic.
“Venu?” – Floating Man In The Water Sculpture
Between 2004-2005, a mysterious sculpture called “Venu?” was installed near the parliament house in Stockholm, Sweden. Created by a Swedish artist, Lotta Hannerz, the sculpture is lightweight and simply just floats in the water with an anchor. Here’s a video of “Venu?” being installed with a simple rowboat in Örebro in 2009.
“Amabel” – Twisted Metal Flower Sculpture
A law in South Korea requires all new large-scale development to be accompanied by an artwork worth at least one percent of its value. This is how Amabel by Frank Stella ended up going on view in a central square in the city.
Some felt it looked as though an airplane had crashed, while others thought that the 30-feet-tall work was just plain ugly. The work, perhaps not one of Stella’s best, has become a minor blog sensation due to how annoyed residents are at it.
“De Vaartkapoen” – Is This Statue Encouraging People To Trip The Police?
The “De Vaartkapoe” statue by Belgian artist Tom Frantzen depicts a young rebel rising up from the sewers to trip and topple over a policeman thus overthrowing his authority. Created in 1985, the statue is located in Sint-Jans-Molenbeek, Belgium.
“The Fremont Troll” – There’s A Giant Troll Under This Seattle Underpass
Constructed in 1990, a giant concrete sculpture of a troll lurks under a bridge overpass in the Seattle suburb of Fremont. The weird sculpture is so large that in its hand is an actual Volkswagen Beetle car. The Fremont Troll was sculpted by Steve Badanes, along with Will Martin, Ross Whitehead, and Donna Walter.
Before the Fremont Troll sculpture was constructed, the freeway underpass was a popular dumping ground. Now it’s a popular landmark and a must-visit Seattle landmark for tourists in the area. The locals love it too. The people in Fremont like the troll so much that they celebrate its birthday, October 31, every year with a public festival called Troll-o-Ween.
The World's Weirdest Statues: The Fremont Troll by Steve Badanes -- #weirdstatues Share on X“The Public Purse” – This Giant Purse Is Also A Bench
In the early 1990s, the City of Melbourne, Australia issued a design brief to artists calling for “unique and distinctive forms of street seating.”
Then in 1994, several functional art sculptures were added throughout the city. “The Public Purse” by Siomon Perry was one of them. The oversized purse sculpture provides a functional seating area and is symbolic to the retail and commerce focus of the area
“The Public Purse” was created using red granite and stainless steel by artist Simon Perry.
“The Paparazzi” – Statue Honoring The World’s Most Despised Profession
“The Paparazzi” is a metal statue in Bratislava, Slovakia, of a photographer sneaking around a street corner to capture a photo. The popular statue was located outside of a restaurant of the same name, “The Paparazzi,” and provided a brilliant piece of marketing for the establishment.
Much to the dismay of the city, after The Paparazzi restaurant closed down, the owners took the famous statue with them. At its original location, the statue was a landmark. But the statue is little more than an afterthought at its new home, the UFO restaurant.
“Madame Chapeau” – Male Transvestite Statue Taunts Local Pickpockets
The “Madame Chapeau” statue in Brussels, Belgium, is of an older woman fearlessly counting her money in public. The statue is a taunt to the local pickpockets in the area who prey on tourists. Madame Chapeau’s unsnactable bronze purse and wallet will forever tease them.
If you look closely at the statue, you’ll be able to discern male features. Madame Chapeau is actually a male transvestite character from the play “Bossemans Coppenolle” by Joris d’Hanswyck and Paul Van Stalle. The play was later made into a movie in 1938.
The statue of Madame Chapeau can be found at the corner of the Rue du Midi and Sparrow Street in the city of Brussels.
The Asus Mona Lisa
The Asus Mona Lisa is large metal statue made out of recycled computer parts. It’s located in the lobby of Asus headquarters in Taipei, Taiwan.
“Corporate Head” – Interesting Critique About Corporate America
This odd statue called “Corporate Head” is located outside the Ernst & Young building in Los Angeles, California. The statue’s artist, Terry Allen, depicts a businessman who has literally put their head into their work. It’s an interesting critique about corporate America for a company like Ernst & Young to have outside their office building.
There’s a plaque on the sidewalk behind the statue that has a quotation by Philip Levine: “They said I had a head for business. They said to get ahead I had to lose my head. They said be concrete I became concrete. They said, go, my son, multiply, divide, conquer. I did my best.”
“Le Pouce” – The Huge Thumb Sculpture In Paris
From a smaller Statue Of Liberty to The Eiffel Tower, there’s a lot of great outdoor art and landmarks to see in Paris. When you’ve exhausted that list of must-see sights, then there’s always “Le Pouce,” which is French for The Thumb. “Le Pouce” is a massive 40-foot tall statue that weighs an incredible 18 tons. The usual tourist attraction was created by Cesar Baldaccini in 1965 is located near Arc de la Defense.
The 25 Weirdest Statues And Sculptures From Around The World Share on XSpace Cow – It’s a Bird… It’s a Plane… It’s Space Cow?!
The “Space Cow” was a floating cow statue created by Swedish artist Tor Svae. Suspended in midair with wires, it featured a cow wearing a space helmet, oxygen pack, and even boots.
Where is the Space Cow sculpture now? It was in Stockholm, Sweden in 2004 for the CowParade art exhibition. The current location of Tor Svae’s Space Cow is unknown.
The Baby Fighter – A Naked Man Versus 4 Naked Babies, What Could Go Wrong?
We saved one of the weirdest statues on this list for last. In the Vigeland Sculpture Park in Oslo, Norway is this bizarre bronze statue of a naked man fighting four child-shaped “genii” spirits. Try that explain that one to your kids.
The Weirdest Statues And Sculptures From Around The World
Don’t get me wrong, I love art and I think that it is an important part of society. Beyond fostering inspiration, driving critical thinking, and being a creative outlet, art also helps create markers in our memories.
Think about all the cities and places that you’ve visited in the past. Besides the significant moments with your friends and family, what else do you remember? Sometimes the monuments, landmarks, and statues that you saw are the most memorable. Especially when they are the weirdest statues and sculptures that you’ve ever seen.
What did you think about our list of the world’s weirdest statues? Did we miss any? Let us know in the comments.
Grab your camera and say... WTF?! Here are some of the world's weirdest statues. Share on X
Frank Wilson is a retired teacher with over 30 years of combined experience in the education, small business technology, and real estate business. He now blogs as a hobby and spends most days tinkering with old computers. Wilson is passionate about tech, enjoys fishing, and loves drinking beer.
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most of these statues are crap. how can they be considered art?
This is some of the worst, most outrageous “art” I have ever seen. Thank you for exposing this to the world. You have done a work of public service. I just pray that you are not espousing this type of work.