It's been named "Sinnenas Park", meaning "The Park of the Senses", because they tried to include things alluding to all the senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch. It was also designed to be easily accessible for those with various handicaps.
I think I have shown this sculpture on the blog before, a few years ago. Its name - Viskarn - means "the whisperer", but I suppose it may also be inspired by and meant to allude to the name of the river flowing through our town - Viskan. (It's hard to hear the difference when spoken!) What intrigues me even more, though, is that the creature reminds me so much of Gollum in the Lord of the Rings movies (who was always whispering and hissing to himself as well). But as you can see on the sign, this sculpture was created in 1999 - and the first of those films wasn't released until 2001... (The books of course were written long before that. But still...)
Linking to Through My Lens 101
11 comments:
A very beautiful little park! What is there for the sense of taste? Are people actually allowed to pick herbs or anything else there?
I am wondering about the pergola, too; it looks beautiful, but won't it be difficult to maneouvre for a blind person or someone in a wheel chair?
Anyway, as I said, it is a beautiful park, and the sculpture does indeed look very much like Gollum!
yet another amazing thing your town has done. I just love the idea of this and also it is beautiful. I even like that weird little guy in the fountain..
Meike, at least the park is on flat ground (which is more than can be said of most of our parks!) and the pavement in the pergola I think should be fairly good for wheelchairs or a walkers. The beds for herbs and plants are also raised (so that someone in a wheelchair would be able to touch the plants). The herbs beds were looking rather dull at the moment though (and some empty), and I didn't take any photos of those. But I guess there is nothing to stop anyone from also tasting those. Perhaps there are currant bushes as well. (I didn't examine every nook and cranny of the park). There are some red currants in park closer to where I live - and nothing to stop people from picking those. (Not ripe yet, though!)
The park was looking really lovely on this day, Sandra. Naturally that varies a bit with the seasons, though ;)
YES, he does look like Gollum! Even his stance. Well, just maybe the movie Gollum was based on this statue! Well, you never know...The blue flowers remind me of Japanese water flowers. I like the brick walkway!
What a lovely tour of the gardens of senses. Interesting sculpture.
On the subject of herbs, many New Zealand towns plant herbs in their towns in the streets and people are encouraged to take what they need. I think it's a great idea.
My immediate reaction when I saw the figure was that it was Gollum. I couldn't have told you the dates of the films (despite having seen them all as they came out) so if you'd said nothing I'd just have assumed it was. It is rather strange.
Ginny, I don't know about Japanese, but they are some kind of Iris. (I didn't see any info on the names of the various plants.)
"Interesting" is the right word I think, Wanda ;)
I recall making this reflection about the sculpture and the films last time I visited this park (some years ago), and I checked up on it again now. It's not the kind of fact that usually stays at the top of my mind for very long unless there is some special reason ;)
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