“Where is the ugliest fountain in the world?” In Vienna, Austria!” The work, which was inaugurated at the end of October and has also been criticized for its cost, continues to cause a stir and sparks ridicule and anger on social networks.
“It’s a shame!”, “What a horror”, “Is this a joke?”: Internet users are suffocating in front of this huge work in gray concrete, made up of 33 figures that seem to be sculpted by kindergarten children, surrounding a jet of water.
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It was commissioned by the social democratic community to mark the 150th anniversary of the city’s spring water supply, an exceptional system of which Vienna is proud.
It was unveiled with great fanfare on October 24 in a disadvantaged neighborhood by Mayor Michael Ludwig, who found it “interesting,” and environmentalist President Alexander Van der Bellen.
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The Viennese collective Gelitin won the artistic competition with its concept, which, in view of the increasing drought, is intended to “represent social responsibility towards water, the protection of which is becoming increasingly important,” said Jürgen Czernohorszky, head of the climate department.
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But this modern fountain is not to everyone’s taste. At
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A message written in English from the Culture Critical account regretting that it was “all they found for 1.8 million euros from the taxpayer” was viewed more than 7.5 million times, in a country with 9 million inhabitants.
Aside from the recurring debate about the place of modern art in public spaces, it is the cost of the monument that is most difficult to establish. “Luxury” in times of “mega-level living,” thunders on Facebook Herbert Kickl, the leader of the far-right FPÖ party, is leading the polls for next year’s parliamentary elections.
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Less than a week after their release, the characters were showered with black tears by passers-by, making them look like they had stepped straight out of a disturbing Tim Burton film.
When contacted by AFP, neither the city of Vienna nor the four authors of the sculptures, who make up the Gelitin collective, known for their provocative performances, have yet responded to the controversy.
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