52 Sculptures Around The World So Unbelievable They’ll Leave You Wondering How They Even Exist
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that some of life’s best memories are created outdoors, and thanks to modern and historic artists, being in the open air has become a positively thrilling experience. Across the globe, they’ve managed to turn ordinary streets and even bare cliff edges into museums with sculptures so spectacular they almost don’t feel real. Some of these pieces honor historical legends, while others are simply mind-bending works of art, but all of them were created to captivate anyone who walks past. We’ve put together this list of 50 sculptures from around the world that are so unbelievable, you’ll want to see them in person.
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Gallos, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom
But he was based in Wales and probably never went to Cornwall.
Load More Replies...Its deliberately like this so anyone can see themselves in it. Watch Mystic Britain
Load More Replies...Dragon Bridge, Da Nang, Vietnam
Tombili, Istanbul, Turkey
The Kelpies, Grangemouth, Scotland, United Kingdom
They're in Falkirk, not Grangemouth. But yes, they're amazing and I love them.
Yes, that’s what struck me when we got close..and the hugeness of them
Load More Replies...Absolutely beautiful - and you can get there by boat as they're on the forth and clyde canal extension.
Apennine Colossus, Tuscany, Italy
Golden Bridge, Da Nang, Vietnam
The Force Of Nature Westminster, Westminster, England
Lion Monument, Lucerne, Switzerland
Puppy, Bilbao, Spain
Yes. It was constructed by Jeff Koons. The flowers are seasonal and changed twice a year. Apparently it represents a Highland Terrier.
Load More Replies...Moai, Easter Island
Serpent D’ocean, Saint-Brevin-Les-Pins, France
Singing Ringing Tree, Burnley, United Kingdom
Naturally, most pieces of art are undeniably captivating, but only a select few are record breakers, and the Statue of Unity in Gujarat’s Narmada Valley certainly makes the cut. Standing at around 597 feet, this massive monument honoring Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, India’s first deputy prime minister, comes in at number one on the list of the world’s tallest sculptures.
Statue Of Lord Shiva, Murdeshwar, India
The Architectural Fragment, Melbourne, Australia
I've never seen this and Melbourne is my CBD. Heh. I have to check this out.
I've only seen it once or twice. Outside the state library, which I've never been in, though I would like to.
Load More Replies...Same, after a bigish night heading to HJ’s on the other corner
Load More Replies...The Burghers Of Calais, London, England, United Kingdom
Adiyogi Shiva Bust, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
Christ The Redeemer, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
The Awakening, Maryland, USA
Mustangs, Las Colinas, Texas
In sad news, covid shut down the horse rides on actual Mustang Island, near Port Arthur
Load More Replies...Rock Sculpture Of Decebalus, Orsova, Romania
Christ Of The Abyss, Key Largo, Florida, USA
The Fork - Alimentarium, Vevey, Switzerland
If there's a fork in the road, take it. But what if it's in the water?
El Oso Y El Madrono, Madrid, Spain
Diminish And Ascend, Christchurch, New Zealand
This is causing an unreasonable amount of anxiety looking at it.
Chinggis Khaan Statue Complex, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Reminds me of those Egyptian sculptures where the big important king dominates the little tiny unimportant soldiers who are winning the battle for him.
While most sculptures are truly something to marvel at, some tend to draw more attention than others. It probably doesn’t come as a surprise that the Statue of Liberty, Christ the Redeemer, and the David sculpture by Michelangelo are some of the most popular in the world. These works of art are global icons that are loved not just for their powerful symbolism and historical significance but also for their impressive craftsmanship.
Angel Of The North, Gateshead, England, United Kingdom
After seeing this in the opening credits of the series "Vera" for so many years, I looked it up, learned where it is, and took a "trip" via google maps. I wanted to see it in its surroundings.
Sacro Bosco, Bomarzo, Italy
This is actually a part of a park and this is, believe it or not, a summerhouse.
Digital Orca, Vancouver, Canada
I've actually seen this one in person! It's right next to the convention centre.
Virgen Del Socavon, Oruro, Bolivia
Men By The Sea, Esbjerg, Denmark
Amazon Statue, Cotonou, Benin
These are the Dahomey Amazons, not the Greek Amazons.
Load More Replies...Amazon means "breastless": they reputedly cut one off to make it easier to draw a bowstring. But this one appears to have graduated to a long-barrelled gun!
This statue is in Benin, not Greece. It is not there to honor the fabled Greek Amazons, but the very REAL Dahomey Amazons. They were elite female warriors of the Dahomey Kingdom in West Africa (now a part of Benin). They fought against the French colonists, until the fall of Dahomey in 1892. It was the French who named them Amazons for fairly obvious reasons. They were called Mino in the Fon language, and were founded sometime in the mid-17th century (though possibly earlier).
Load More Replies...Franz Kafka, Rotating Head, Prague, Czech Republic
Wonder how Kafka would feel about a rotating disco ball in his honour, considering he didn't even really want to publish his works.
Wat Plai Laem, Koh Samui, Thailand
Statue Of Liberty, New York, USA
I would love to see her finish restored, if that's a possibility. I can't imagine what it looked like
It is interesting to go inside the statue. When I was there, you climb a staircase to the crown, where there are views of NYC. My husband says that in the 1950s, you could climb up to the torch.
"The Statue of Liberty is 305 feet (93 meters) tall from the ground to the tip of the torch when including its pedestal, but the statue itself measures 151 feet (46 meters) from its heel to the top of its head, making it comparable to a 22-story building. "
Load More Replies...Jatayu, Kerala, India
Cloud Gate, Chicago, USA
I was forced to go and see this and all the way walking up to it, I was nah what a waste of time, until I got up close and then I was mesmerised and eventually had to be forced to leave it. It's unbelievably awesome and it's No. 1 on my fantasy "steal list"!
I know it's not everyone's cup of tea, but I really like it. I wonder though, it always looks so shiny in pictures, do they regularly have cleaners to clean it from all angles to keep it shiny? Or is it a special material that stays shiny or that doesn't really get dirty? Or is it still very beautiful when it's not shiny?
The bottom portion is wiped several times per day. It is cleaned and polished daily, and gets a power washing twice a year. Googled it.
Load More Replies...I always thought it was ridiculous and boring until I visited. The way it interacts with the cityscape and the way people interact with it is unique and decidedly fascinating.
Although there’s no official world record for the “most sculptures in one city,” Rome would probably win the title, with Skopje in North Macedonia coming in as a close second. The Italian city is home to a generous mix of fountains, ancient ruins, and Renaissance works of art on almost every street corner, making the entire city feel like an outdoor gallery.
Leshan Giant Buddha, Leshan, China
Spirit Of Haida Gwaii, The Jade Canoe, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Maman, Bilbao, Spain
Lord Murugan Statue, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Cristo Protetor De Encantado, State Of Rio Grande Do Sul, Brazil
I don't think it is. There's a lot of Jesus statues on the list, but this is the only one of Cristo Protetor De Encantado.
Load More Replies...Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park, Bali, Indonesia
La Mano Del Desierto, Atacama Desert, Chile
The Big Ant, Poochera, Australia
I mean have you seen the spiders? They need giant insects to feed them.
Load More Replies...I had to look up Poochera, not a town I have heard of. It's in South Australia, which I must admit I've only travelled through once.
I live in South Australia and this is the first I've known about a giant ant.
Load More Replies...Cristo De La Concordia, Cochabamba, Bolivia
Spring Temple Buddha, Henan, China
Phuket Big Buddha, Phuket, Thailand
Tian Tan Buddha, Ngong Ping, Hong Kong
Guanyin Of Nanshan, Sanya, Hainan, China
Emperors Yan And Huang Statue, Zhengzhou, China
Mount Rushmore, South Dakota, USA
I've traveled across the US multiple times and visited many incredible national monuments and parks and this is the only one that left me completely underwhelmed.
It's boring, it's in the middle of nowhere, where it's in the middle of a really backward area anyway.
But at least you often can't see it due to fog. 😂
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