Golem, Contemporary art installation in Poznan, Poland
Golem is a metal sculpture in central Poznan, Poland, assembled from recycled industrial parts arranged into geometric shapes that form a humanoid figure. The structure stands roughly 26 feet (8 meters) tall and is made entirely from repurposed metal components fitted together without a conventional base.
The sculpture was created in 2010, taking its subject from an ancient Jewish legend in which a creature is brought to life from lifeless matter. The artists chose this story as a bridge between an old myth and the way materials can be given a second life through art.
The name refers to a creature from Jewish tradition, a being shaped from lifeless matter and brought to life by human hands. Visitors who look closely can make out a rough human form in the assembled metal parts, giving a familiar story a new and unexpected shape.
The sculpture stands in a central part of Poznan and can be visited at any time without charge, as it sits in open public space. It fits naturally into a walk through the city center, and the light in the morning or late afternoon tends to bring out the texture of the metal best.
Although the figure is made from scrap metal, it reads as a solid and coherent form when seen from a distance. Only up close does the eye start to pick out the individual pieces, such as pipes, gears and other machine parts, that have been locked together to build it.
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