Peeing Polar Bear Turned Off At Night

The Museum Flehite in Amersfoort in The Netherlands has found itself under fire from neighbours complaining about a sculpture of a giant polar bear which is peeing into the local canal.

Whilst Brussels may have its Manneken Pis, Amersfoort now has a much larger and far noisier water feature of its own which is on display until November 19.

This is a specially commissioned piece for an Art and Zoo exhibition being held at the museum and is the handiwork of sculptor Florentijn Hofman who is perhaps best known for the scattering of huge rubber ducks in harbours around the world and is one of a breed of modern sculptors who don’t just create busts and statues.

According to the museum, “With this sculpture, Hofman puts an end to the cuddly image of this powerful and brutal animal. This brutality matches perfectly with the subject around which the artwork ultimately revolves, namely global warming.

“The ice is melting; the polar bear’s habitat is getting smaller and smaller. This polar bear has left its natural habitat and stepped ashore on the quay of Museum Flehite in Amersfoort by the sea. The beast is behaving as anti-socially in the human world as humans treat animals’ habitats.”

Other pieces in the exhibition which celebrates the 75^th Anniversary of the opening of the DierenPark children’s zoo include comments and observations from generations of children who have used it.

One striking exhibit is the installation by artist duo A+B which resembles the classic Cabinet of Wonders which were popular in the 16th to 18th centuries but this cabinet is full of plastic animals collected over the past 10 years.

The work is about conservation and sustainability, as well as the carelessness with which we treat nature.

Another artist involved is known as Idiot and his colourful butterflies are folded into paper aeroplanes so like much of nature are disposed of without a second though.

There is no doubt however the polar bear is the largest and most thought provoking piece on display but with the incontinent bear peeing noisily every three minutes, day and night, those living nearby quickly had enough and complained.

Now a compromise has been reached and the polar bear must hold it in at night as it is now turned off so neighbours can get some sleep