David Cerny

David Cerny is a Czech sculptor who is best known for his controversial public art work. His sculptures challenge what is considered acceptable or offensive and recognizes the in-your-face quality of the ridiculous.  Cerny’s pieces are well crafted and thought provoking. For some people they’re an outrage, and for others they’re hilarious. He likes to touch on whatever subjects strike a nerve and allows people to interact with a lot of his pieces. One work, Brownnosers, allows the viewer to climb up a ladder and into the massive asshole of the sculpture and watch a video of someone feeding another greedy and hungry man grotesquely; all to the song “we are the champions”.

Piss, figures hight 210 cm, Bronze, mechanic, electronic, gsm gate

My personal favorite is the sculpture of two men standing in a puddle of their own urine (actually water) and peeing. The puddle just happens to be in the shape of the country and their pee streams move to write quotes from famous Prague residents. Like Brownnosers, visitors can interact with them by sending a text message from their cell phone to a number displayed next to the sculptures. The statue will then pause what its doing and “write” the text of the message before carrying on as before.

Nation to Itself, 2002, 10 meters high (32.81 ft)

Brownnosers ,2003, mixed media, height 520 cm