La Bicyclette ensevelie, Monumental sculpture in Parc de la Villette, Paris, France.
La Bicyclette ensevelie displays enlarged parts of a bicycle including saddle, pedal, front wheel, and handlebar with bell emerging from the ground. These elements are made from steel, aluminum, and fiber-reinforced plastic coated with blue polyurethane enamel.
The work was created in 1990 by American artist Claes Oldenburg and Dutch artist Coosje van Bruggen. It was part of cultural development efforts at Parc de la Villette during the urban renewal initiatives of the 1980s and 1990s.
The sculpture references cycling's role in everyday French life by presenting its parts scattered in the earth. This fragmented approach invites visitors to imagine the missing whole and connects to common experiences of movement and travel.
The sculpture sits in Parc de la Villette and can be reached by Metro lines 5 or 7 at nearby stations. The park is freely accessible at all times, so you can view the work without restrictions or planning ahead.
The title refers to the bicycle being literally buried or sunk into the earth. This poetic name reflects the artistic intention of transforming the ordinary into something strange and dreamlike.
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