Hanging Out, A thought-provoking spectacle of art

Husova Street, Old Town

A statue hanging from a building

3.8

Introduction

On Husova street in Prague's Old Town, you'll see a melancholy man hanging from a pole, resembling Sigmund Freud, but don't worry, it's just a statue named Viselec (Czech for "Hanging Man"). Created by controversial Czech sculptor David Cerny in 1997, he didn't publicly explain the intent behind the piece, leaving it up to interpretation. Viselec has been exhibited in cities such as Michigan, London, Berlin, and Stockholm, causing a sensation. During the Michigan exhibit, there were mistaken reports of people thinking the statue was a real person about to commit suicide, and police and firefighters were called. Now, this unique statue has returned to its "home" in Prague. Cerny's work is full of humor, imagination, and entertainment value, and in Prague, you can see other representative works such as the statue of St. Wenceslas riding a horse at Lucerna Palace and the "Four-legged Car" near Charles Bridge.