Unconditional Surrender

Location: San Diego, California, USA
Address:  Tuna Harbor Park
Date: June 2019
Website: en.wikipedia.org

  As you walk past the USS Midway Museum in San Diego and head into Tuna Harbor Park you come across a couple locked in an embrace.  This is a sculpture by artist Seward Johnson and is based on a photograph taken in Times Square at the end of World War II.  It is called Embracing Peace.

  San Diego is a huge naval town and the USS Midway is an aircraft carrier with fighter jets parked on top.

  Behind Embracing Peace out in the harbour are active naval ships that are ready for action as needed.

  The 25 foot tall couple doesn't notice as passerby snap photos.  They reminded us of the couples in an old commercial for Big Red chewing gum.

  The original artwork was in Sarasota, Florida and then moved to San Diego.  The artist then made several versions of the statue available.   The original was foam filled and stayed in San Diego until 2012.  It was originally called Unconditional Surrender.

    About a year later a bronze replacement arrived in San Diego.  This is the strongest version offered by the artist.  As the couple continues to stand in the habour, that is one strong kiss as well.

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Map of Our World
Unconditional Surrender

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Post # 255

Orlando Power Station Cooling Towers

Location: Soweto, South Africa
Address:  Klipspruit 318-Iq
Date: Oct 2018
Website: www.gauteng.net

  Two towers stand tall above anything else in the Soweto area of South Africa.  The 33 storey tall Orlando Towers are the last remaining structures of a coal fired power station.  The power station was built in 1935 and closed in 1998.

  These days the towers are now completely painted with murals.   These murals have changed through the years but when we visited one was sponsored by local brewing company Soweto Gold and the other by telecom company Vodacom.  One tower states "We are in Soweto and Soweto is in us".  The other is for empowering education.

Other cooling towers that we saw as we travelled stood out against the skyline, but they were just plain looking.

Some of these power plants were still in operation.

  The towers are also famous for being the world's first bungee jump between two cooling towers.  Brave souls can jump from a little bridge that spans the two towers.  Between the artwork and the adventure it is safe to say that these are the most exciting cooling towers in all of South Africa, perhaps the world.

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Map of Our World
Orlando Power Station Cooling Towers

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Post # 254

Bulle & Bar

Location: Frankfurt, Germany
Address:  Börsenpl. 49, 60313 Frankfurt am Main
Date: Oct 2018
Website: www.kunst-im-oeffentlichen-raum-frankfurt.de

 On our way to South Africa, we had a layover in Frankfurt, Germany.  We took this opportunity to leave the airport and check out the town.  As we walked along we found ourselves in the middle of a showdwon between a bull and a bear (or a bulle and bär in German).

  In front of the Frankfurt stock exchange stand two sculptures by Reinhard Dachlauer.  They have been there since 1987.  The bronze to make the sculptures was donated by the stock exchange on its 400th anniversary.
 

  The bull represents a rising stock market where investors are optimistic.

   The bear represents a recession where investors are wary.

  Behind the bear is the Block House restaurant.  The building has a balcony which appears to be supported by several hunched over figures.

 

  Both sculptures had a cartoonish quality and lots of personality.  We found them very endearing  regardless of which way the stock market is headed

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Map of Our World
Bulle & Bär

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Post # 253