Funky Bones, Artistic sculpture at Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park, US
Funky Bones is an art installation made of twenty white and black benches arranged to form a giant skeleton that spreads across the central meadow of the park. The benches are constructed from fiberglass and plywood, arranged so that up close they function as individual seating, but from a distance their layout reveals a complete bone structure.
The artwork was installed in 2010 by Dutch artist collective Atelier Van Lieshout at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. This collaboration brought international artistic perspectives into the city's public space.
The name "Funky Bones" refers to the skeletal structure that forms the artwork itself. Visitors interact with this large-scale piece in a playful way, sitting on benches that together create something between order and natural organic shapes.
The benches are sturdy and function as real seating where visitors can rest while exploring the installation. You experience the full skeleton form best by walking through the space or viewing it from higher points around the meadow.
The piece gained international attention after appearing in the novel and film adaptation of The Fault in Our Stars. This sudden fame transformed it into a destination where fans from around the world travel to experience the connection to the story.
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