WHAT A SIGHT A man and a child look at the sculpture 鈥淲irWasser Brunnen鈥� (Our Water Fountain) created by artist group Gelitin in Vienna, Austria, on Nov. 8. The sculpture, surrounding a fountain, was inaugurated last month to mark the 150th anniversary of drinking water coming from the Alps. 鈥擜FP
VIENNA鈥擜 fountain in Austria鈥檚 capital commemorating 150 years of 痴颈别苍苍补鈥檚 modern water system has drawn fierce criticism for its perceived 鈥渦gliness鈥� and excessive costs.
The 1.8-million-euro ($1.9-million) fountain was commissioned by the city鈥檚 left-wing government led by Social Democrat Mayor Michael Ludwig and inaugurated with President Alexander Van der Bellen on Oct. 24.
The unusual fountain鈥攆eaturing 33 humanoid sculptures seated in a circle鈥攚as created by the provocative Viennese artist group Gelitin after their design symbolizing the 鈥渃ommunal responsibility for water鈥� as a precious resource won over the jury.
While officials hailed the fountain鈥檚 鈥渆xtraordinary, reality-inspired鈥� design for skilfully conveying a pivotal 鈥渟ense of togetherness,鈥� critics took issue with its artistic properties, venting their anger online.
鈥極ut of touch鈥�
A post on X, formerly Twitter, by an account called Culture Critic that slammed the fountain鈥檚 design and huge cost to taxpayers has since been viewed more than 7.6 million times.
Other astonished internet users blasted the artwork as the 鈥渦gliest fountain鈥� they had ever seen, with some even spotting a Michelin man-esque figure among the sculptures.
The right-wing Freedom Party鈥檚 hardline leader Herbert Kickl blamed the Social Democrats for 鈥渄amaging鈥� 痴颈别苍苍补鈥檚 image by building a 鈥渓uxury fountain鈥� with 鈥渦gly 鈥� figures,鈥� which he said showed how 鈥渃ompletely out of touch鈥� the party is.
Pristine water
Contacted by Agence France-Presse (AFP), neither the city of Vienna nor the artist group was immediately reachable for comment.
痴颈别苍苍补鈥檚 modern water system鈥攔enowned for its pristine water that courses from streams in the green forests of the Alps鈥攚as set up in 1873 under the Austro-Hungarian Empire to provide the city with fresh water to overcome diseases, such as cholera.