the cuddly: a giant plush teddy takes to the streets of warsaw

the cuddly: a giant plush teddy takes to the streets of warsaw
all images courtesy of forms and shapes foundation

a giant plush teddy is set in the urban city streets of warsaw, poland — a jovial artistic intervention that gives a new shape to everyday reality. iza rutkowska, of forms and shapes foundation in poland, concieved the idea in response to current statues in warsaw: a city full of monuments, most commemorating wartime experiences or social and political issues, yet their typically stone facades blend into the surrounding space, becoming commonplace and conventional parts of life.

‘the cuddly’ sits atop a hill at a park in warsaw

rutkowska creates a giant faithful friend from childhood, ‘the cuddly’, a massive teddy bear, which passersby are invited to interact with, climbing on him and hugging him and giving the residents of warsaw a sense of the existence of ‘public friend.’ the stuffed animal moves around the city, traveling to beaches and local parks, and will soon to fly in other places around the world.   

visitors and passersby interact with the giant stuffed teddy bear

 rutkowska presents  ‘the cuddly’ at prague designblok 2014 in the superstudio hra — a former primary school — where designers focused their work on this edition’s central theme of ‘childhood’.

the urban art piece brings new shape to city sites

the massive teddy moves around the city of warsaw, and will travel to other cities, soon