“Arcs in disorder: 3 arcs x 4” – that’s the name of the newest outdoor statue in Budapest, which was officially dedicated on July 16th at Március 15. Square. The trio of giant statues were transported here from the Belvedere Museum in Vienna, and locals are fascinated by them, with strategic selfie portraiture and sunbathing while lying in them being just two of the most popular activities of these public art pieces.
The statuary is the work of renowned French painter Bernar Venet, whose works are inspired by mathematics, natural sciences, irregular angles, and lines – and this new creation is no exception. Apart from being unconventional and diversely interesting when viewed from different angles, the statues are also monumental: the three pieces, consisting of multiple bands apiece, weigh eight tons altogether.
The huge installation was transported to Hungary thanks to Art Market Budapest, an annual art fair aiming to showcase the capital as one of the most important cities in Europe in terms of art. The work of the 74-year-old French artist will surely help Budapest become a more internationally esteemed city of culture – with more publicly accessible creative visions than many places.
Bernar Venet’s outdoor works can also be found in cities like Berlin, Köln, Genf, Tokyo, San Francisco, and Paris, but a large number of them belong to private collections.
