Urs Cavelti: Seelöwe (2017). Sculpture (Basel, Switzerland).  

Urs Cavelti: Seelöwe (2017). Sculpture (Basel, Switzerland).
Official description: The bronze sculpture of the sea lion, whose form is close to that of a real animal, balances upside down on its snout on the terrace floor of the elementary school. On closer inspection, it is noticeable that the sea lion is crouching, its flippers outstretched. Only when viewers standing on the street turn their heads so that the animal's seat becomes horizontal does the whole picture reveal itself: the sea lion becomes the juggler of the building and the entire globe. The imaginary inversion emphasizes lightness and playfulness and opens up a different view of the world. The sculpture is a playful interpretation of a traditional animal motif often found in parks and school grounds. The sculpture and its placement open up a new perspective and a new imaginative space with the little trick of inversion. The sea lion is an object of identification for the pupils.
Urs Cavelti is a Swiss artist, born in 1969 in Sagogn, lives in Basel.