Searching for Utopia, Nieuwpoort, Belgium
“Searching for Utopia, Nieuwpoort, Belgium” was featured in the groups
European Everyday Life and
Town Giants.
1118 views (17 November 2009)
First, I owe an apology to Michael Galperin. He wrote it was in front the Grand Palais in Paris… I said “No”, because that’s not where I took this photo, and I had no idea it actually was there earlier this year… Just found this in Paris Daily Photo webpage of 19 March 2008:
“If you’d walk by the Grand Palais today (a huge exhibition hall originally built for the Paris Exhibition of 1900) you’d see something pretty unusual: a huge turtle made of bronze (it weights no less than… 5 tons!). The little man on the turtle is… a self-portrait Jan Fabre, the Belgian artist who actually made this masterpiece (called “Searching for Utopia”). BTW, the reason why this turtle sits outside the museum is that the Grand Palais is going to host ArtParis, a pretty famous modern art exhibition.”
But the Photo was taken on Nieuwpoort beach in Belgium, its regular location, as Allen Lucas managed to find out… Well-done, Allen!
Photo taken with Canon PowerShot S70 camera, two years ago.
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Searching for Utopia, Nieuwpoort, Belgium belongs to the following groups:
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Yool
I dont know but it is very nice!!!
Gili Orr replied
Glad you like it… some people find it just kitch, but I like it a lot myself…
salsbells69
How about New Zealand..they ride whales there too!!
Gili Orr replied
Nope, never been there, though I wish to, some day… ;-)
salsbells69
Its a wicked sculpture btw..beautifully shot Gili!!
Gili Orr replied
Thanks, Sal! appreciate it :-))
CanDuCreations
A great shot!
Gili Orr replied
Thanks, Thea!!
Mechellerene
This is way freakin’ cool!! Where is it???
Mechellerene
Berlin?
Gili Orr replied
Nope ;-)
Mark Gardner
Trippy !!!!!
Gili Orr replied
What is “trippy”?
Mark Gardner
Its a good thing !!!!!
Gili Orr replied
OH, like when you are high on drugs? lol. Thanks, Mark! :-)
Mark Gardner
Yeah thats what i have been told lol, i mean, looks like Mickey Rourke wearing an Elvis suit riding a giant golden turtle, who needs drugs lol
Vickie Emms
this is great Gili, I love it. Now what is it? Are we playing a game? lol. That’s ok. I guess I have never seen this one on my travels.
Gili Orr replied
We ARE PLAYING A GAME ;-) The “Bubble Jeopardy” game… People seem to really love this game, and I just joined this fun group. Guessing games…
Gili Orr replied
Oh, and thanks for the compliment ;-)
Vickie Emms
ohhhhhhhhh,,,,,,,,,lol. OK. then I guess I will wait and see the answer when it’s discovered. Or….......maybe I should do a little research for the answer myself :-))))
Gili Orr replied
Yep, google and maybe you find ;-)
Allen Lucas
Great addition to Town Giants.
My thoughts are, this is in Amsterdam.
Gili Orr replied
Because I live nearby? lol. Sorry, not Amsterdam ;-)
Visual Inspi...
Chicago? ;-) rhonda
Gili Orr replied
Been there… but sorry – not Chicago…
Nala
Do not know but its fantastic . . . . mmmmm
Gili Orr replied
;-) Glad you like it, Alan!
kathy s gillen...
is it Florence
Gili Orr replied
no no no… ;-)
amarica
Is it Universal Studios in Hollywood?
Gili Orr replied
Nope…
Allen Lucas
My research has led me to suggest that it may be in London, England, possibly behind the Waterloo train station?
Gili Orr replied
What kind of research? :-) No, not in London, sorry, Allen.
Visual Inspi...
Is it in the USA?
Gili Orr replied
No, not in the USA ;-)
Robert Elliott
great image, no idea
Gili Orr replied
Thanks, Robert! I will tell at some point, if nobody guesses :-)
Michael Galperin
France
Gili Orr replied
No, not France, though I guess Paris would love it ;-) (Or maybe not…)
Michael Galperin
Triangle d’or, Paris
Michael Galperin
in front of Grand Palais
Gili Orr replied
You were partly right, too… You could have seen this statue there, but it’s not where I took the photo, and not where the statue actually belongs…
kalaryder
Dont’ know but hope you put it in with public art or the sculpinators, excellent shot
Gili Orr replied
Oh, you host both? I will, I will ;-) And I will give a lot of info, soon…
Gili Orr replied
Oh, I see I actually sent it to both… It is still awaiting approval in the Public Art…
Allen Lucas
Ah ha, I have narrowed it down to a Belgium Beach.
including a self-portrait of the artist (Jan Fabre).
Gili Orr replied
Great! You solved it Allen! Congratulations!!!
Allen Lucas
Exactly Nieuwpoort, Belgium
Coordinates 51d08m48s N 2d42m35s W
Gili Orr replied
Right;-)
Anne-Marie Bok...
You kept them busy he…lol. Good picture ;-)
Gili Orr replied
Thanks! ;-) that’s the only photo I have of it from the front without some smiling person hugging the giant’s head… lol.
Allen Lucas
According to other accounts on the web, and the photos on Panoramio/Google Earth, the statue is now fenced off, something about keeping people from falling off??
Gili Orr replied
By mistake I pasted the photo twice;-)
Gili Orr
You can see it is “fenced” in this photo from the rear…
not sure what it is done for… maybe I can find more info later. Whatever detailed info I found so far was in Dutch, which means I have to translate ;-) As you see here, the hero riding the giant turtle is heading towards the sea/ocean, in search of the island Utopia (referring to the 16th century book of Sir Thomas More, whose title gave us this term).
MFPhotography
this is soo cool!! :)
Gili Orr replied
Oops, missed your comment, sorry… Big belated thanks!!
van049
This is a very big turtle; great shot!
Marion Cullen
I believe I voted for this in a challenge a few days back…interesting sculpture, it really caught my eye. Love how you have composed this shot, it gives the distinct impression that this monster is lurching into frame.
Gili Orr replied
Thanx!! I took a few photos of this statue. The choice of this one for RB was almost forced on me, since all the other shots, with the whole turtle, had my wife’s smiling face in them… lol. It was in the time when I just started taking photos… she was the photografer for art’s sake, I was just playing around. But I guess this shot is the most effective, anyway.
Alateia
oooo coooool, i want one of these in my backyard! or even a few! lol
great angle, nice pic
Gili Orr replied
LOL. Thanks, Alateia!!
Karen Betts
wonderful love the colour and texture of this, what a great find.
Gili Orr replied
Thanks, Karen!!