Canada’s Big Things just get curiouser and curiouser! Wonderland is a real head-turner, standing necks to the remarkable Bow building in downtown Calgary. It was unveiled in 2012 by Spanish sculptor Jaume Plensa – an artist who openly admits to having a big head.
The cheeky bent-wire masterpiece is an incr-head-able 12 metres tall, with two openings for ear-ger visitors to walk through. Wonderland seems to morph and transform as one ventures through it, inspiring reflection upon our own bodies. Who nose what you’ll see when you venture inside?
Commissioned by natural gas companies Encana and Cenovus, Wonderland is certainly not a load of hot air. Admission is free, so you won’t have to buy a ticket off a scalper.
The inspiration for this whimsi-skull sculpture was, supposedly, a beautiful Spanish girl who Jaume met during one magical summer in the slums of Madrid. Apparently she professed her love for him, but Jaume was able to see right through her.
There’s noggin else like Wonderland, so don’t miss this bonce-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the giant head.
What a Jackass!
Wonderland made headlines around the world in 2014, when controversial Jackass star Steve-O clambered to the top and had to be rescued with a crane-ium.
“Why would they put this awesome jungle gym right in downtown Calgary if they didn’t want me to climb to the top?” Steve quipped afterwards. The childish prank proved to be a real headache for Calgarians, however.
“We want art that people can enjoy and get close to and that’s the wonderful thing about Wonderland,” an enraged Councillor Druh Farrell spat afterwards. “You can go inside it and see a completely different perspective and the last thing we want to do is to block people off.”
Steve-O’s been a casual acquaintance of mine since meeting at a bedazzling class a few years ago, so I picked up the phone to give him a piece of my mind.
“Let’s face the facts, Steve-O, that was a brainless act,” I blared. “You know it was the tongue thing to do and few things could ec-lips your stupidity. Pull your head in, mate.”
The Hollywood tough guy was quiet for the longest time as he processed my harsh, yet fair, criticism. When he spoke, he chose his words carefully.
“You’re right, Bigs,” a bashful Steve-O mumbled. “Not only were my actions an insult to the hard work and dedication of Jaume Plensa, but also an affront to Big Thing fanatics across the globe. I should have taken the opportunity to contemplate the architecture of my own physical being and the role of gender in the modern art and commercial realms during this transitional phase of western society.”
I just nodded. It warms my heart to see miscreants evolving into valuable and self-aware members of the community.
“Are we still on for rollerblading next weekend?” the thrillseeker asked timidly.
“Yes, Steve-O,” I replied. “But climb any more Big Things and you can forget about getting ice cream afterwards.”
A word of warning
As I was strutting my stuff for the cameras, a burly security guard bailed me up and demanded to know whether I was going to profit from the happy snaps I was taking. Apparently doing so is illegal, punishable by death.
“Only a real bad egg would try to profit from a Big Thing,” I snapped at her. “Land of the Bigs is a non-profit organisation dedicated to chronicling and preserving the world’s beautiful roadside attractions. Shame on you for thinking I’d try to make even a single cent from Wonderland.”
Hopefully she doesn’t subscribe to my OnlyFans account!
