"Pissing Men" (Čówrající postavy) is a fountain sculpture in Prague, which is one of the most famous and photographed in the city.
The fountain sculpture is also known as "Pissing Boys", and translated from Czech means "Pissing characters".
The sculpture is located in the historical center of Prague, on a small courtyard square in the Mala Strana district (Mala Strana, Small Town), not far from the narrowest street in Prague (Chertovka, Nejužší pražska ulička) and the famousCharles Bridge (Karlów most).
The sculpture was created in 2004 by Czech artist David Cherny and is a kinetic sculpture group 210 centimeters high.
This is a fountain sculpture, where the fountain bowl is a low capacity in the form of a map of the Czech Republic. In the bowl there are tall human sculptures that pee on the map of the Czech Republic - streams of water flow from naked penises.
The statues themselves turn their hips and raise their penises so that the jet of water on the surface of the fountain bowl writes letters. Usually there are inscriptions quoting the environment, which the viewer can interrupt by writing an SMS, and then the sculptures will "write out" the text from the SMS on the surface of the fountain bowl.
It would seem strange why there is a sculpture in the Czech capital, in which the plot is writing on the map of the country, but the author of the project himself commented on it as follows:
"The megacities of Eastern Europe are known for the fact that adult men in varying degrees of intoxication do not hesitate to urinate on the street. The further east, the lower the blood alcohol level. Western European megacities can boast fountains where cute boys pee, but our men are alive. There is also a slight need for a gesture of aggression and marking the territory. It's a pity that ours is so small...".
The fountain sculpture can be seen in the courtyard in front of the Franz Kafka Museum (Muzeum Franze Kafky) in the area of the former brick factory "Herget" (Herget), standing right on the banks of the Vltava River and is now a historical building in the style of late classicism. There are also cafes with outdoor tables in the courtyard.
From the courtyard and from the sculpture-fountain "Pissing Men" you can go to the observation deck near the river, which offers beautiful views of the Vltava and Charles Bridge. There is also a view cafe.
Practical information
The address of the sculpture fountain: Cihelna, 118 00 Malá Strana, Czech Republic.
The sculpture fountain is free to visit and is open 24 hours a day.
All accommodation facilities in Prague (hotels, apartments, guest houses, etc.), including in the city center and more remotely from it, can be viewed and booked here
