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Mindaugas Balčiauskas

“This Nightmare Creature”: 50 Of The Most Bizarre And Ugly Statues Around The World

On Lucille Ball

While we do believe that art is subjective — what looks meaningful to one person might look strange to someone else — some statues do manage to unite nearly everyone in agreement.

Not because they’re beautiful, but because many people find them to be an eyesore or simply funny.

Netizens from around the world have been sharing the strangest looking statues from their cities, and some of them will definitely make you pause and dig deeper.

Whether it’s the Marilyn Monroe statue in California or Melbourne’s Quasi statue, or a strange looking panda sculpture somewhere, these works made us wonder what the artists were thinking. Or if they were even thinking at all.

#1 Ireland

The Ferryman's End in Co. Wicklow. Maybe more creepy than ugly?

#2 Finland

I see this marvelous thing at least a couple of times a week. I live almost next to it. :D

#3 Netherlands

Official name: Santa Claus known as: the Bum plug gnome

Public opinion on art can be surprisingly strong.

In 2025, a survey asked 2,000 Americans to name the ugliest public art in the country.

The top spot went to the Boll Weevil Monument in Enterprise, Alabama. It was built in 1919 and honors the insect that once destroyed local cotton crops.

While that may sound strange, the pest actually forced farmers to diversify which made the local economy better.

But many people still find the image of a woman proudly holding a giant bug confusing rather than inspiring.

Lipstick (Ascending) on Caterpillar Tracks in New Haven was voted the second ugliest. It was designed as political commentary, but to many people, it simply looks weird.

#4 USA

Idk what this is actually called, but I have always called it The Colon

#5 UK

Chichester has a poo (officially a periwinkle)

#6 USA

Mothman - Point Pleasant West Virginia

Surveys have also found a pattern in what people find strange in public art.

Giant animals, insects, and everyday objects blown up to extreme size often appear on ugly lists.

For example, the Woinic sculpture in France features a massive steel wild boar. It weighs around 50 tons and is one of the largest animal sculptures in the world. It’s impressive, but not at all subtle.

#7 France

From France, Woinic is not the ugliest. I present you the horrendous horse statue from the Gare de Rennes

#8 Finland

Theres a statue park in Parikkala, Finland that not a lot of people know about. Its very unsettling, theres hundreds of statues like this and the teeth look way too real to me.

#9 Slovenia

An artist made this Trump statue monstrosity in Moravce in order to bring in tourists. Someone burnt it to the ground shortly after it was erected. There was also a similarly ugly statue of Melanija in her hometown of Sevnica, but it also got burnt and then somebody stole it.

Statues of real people are also hard to like, unless they’re perfectly made.

For example, the statue of Lucille Ball in New York has been nicknamed “Scary Lucy” because it looks nothing like Lucille Ball, the beloved star of ‘I Love Lucy’ sitcom.

People said the face was distorted and the smile felt more creepy than comedic.

Sports figures and celebrity statues in other places have faced similar criticism — think Cristiano Ronaldo’s infamous airport bust in Portugal or even the polarizing reactions to Michael Jordan’s statue in Chicago.

#10 USA

We have this nightmare creature in Alabama.

#11 Sweden

Sweden’s very first attempt of lion taxidermy.

#12 Netherlands

I mean we have some very weird statues but the weirdest one in my opinion was on that stopped a metro from crashing

Artists believe that human likeness is really hard to get right.

“In my experience, one of the biggest challenges in sculpting realistic human figures is creating an authentic sense of presence… this approach takes patience, especially with marble, where tight timelines or even my own impatience can make things challenging,” says sculptor Håkon Anton Fagerås, whose works include iconic figures like Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen.

“In high-profile works, public reactions can be intense and varied. People have strong ideas about how these individuals look, who they are, and how they should be remembered,” he adds.

#13 Scotland

Dandy Lion in Scotland

#14 Ireland

The Luke Kelly statue in Dublin. Well made but reminds me of the decapitated John de Baptist.

#15 USA

Ruined a perfectly beautiful mountain sacred to the Indigenous community for this garbage 😤

For some artists, the challenge lies in going beyond mere likeness to tell a story that means something. At the same time, they need to be ready for an audience that may not always understand the intent of their art.

In China, an online poll collected thousands of votes to rank the ugliest public sculptures.

A piece called ‘Life,’ an abstract structure in Wuhan made of steel rods shaped like a nest, was voted the worst by the public.

Art experts defended it as a strong example of modern design.

The situation highlighted a common tension — what artists praise might not always be what everyday viewers appreciate.

#16 Paraguay

This thing was supposed to be a monument to the doctors who fought against Covid. But instead, it looks like something out of Resident Evil.

#17 Australia

he’s definitely up there lol

#18 Turkey

Its a gorilla

Public opinion means a lot when it comes to public art. So much so that backlash and criticism can lead to the removal of some statues.

For example, Den Store Havfrue — the “Big Mermaid” statue —in Denmark’s Copenhagen is going to be removed after several complaints from locals who called it vulgar and out of place.

The artist defended his work, but the locals and the government had the final say.

#19 New Zealand

This nightmare, official name Quasi, nicknames are far more lewd! ETA: the face is the artist's, not a foreign politician or billionaire, but I can see some of the resemblances you guys are picking out! Apparently we recently passed this on to Tasmania, pour one out for the poor guys, who knows how long they're gonna be haunted!

#20 Finland

This is bad

Artists believe that even if a piece of art leads to memes or outrage, it still serves a purpose by starting conversations and making people react.

“Every piece of public art alters its surroundings, provoking a range of responses. Some embrace the transformation, while others resist it. Either way, the interaction between a statue and its viewers is a critical part of its story,” says Norwegian sculptor Håkon Anton Fagerås.

#21 Germany

„Travelling Giants in the Wind“, Westerland (Sylt) Safe to say the Island people are not happy with these

#22 Czech Republic

That being said, many artists still stand by public art, regardless of how it’s received.

“Art is not meant to please everyone. It’s meant to provoke thought, to challenge perspectives, and to honor stories in a way that transcends the literal,” says international artist and sculptor Omri Amrany.

#23 Indonesia

Sadly it does not look the same today😔🙏

#24 France

The ""Christmas tree"" that was in the place Vendaume, Paris. 24 meter high, a lot of people were pissed off

#25 Iran

This one never failes to crack me up!

#26 Taiwan

I thought this is bad enough but after almost died laughing at all kinds of monstrosity in the comment I feel like this is just mildly bad. But anyway—— sleep paralysis Nemo.

#27 Poland

snail pope

#28 Canada

Drove by this guy as a kid on a few occasions in the 70's. BTW, it's a potato.

#29 Wales

While personally I like it, I think a few people consider Liverpool's Superlambanana ugly. I love it's quirkyness tbh

#30 Czechia

Jošt in Brno

#31 UK

#32 Mexico

How about this one in Colima Mexico, where I live. It's called "Figura Obscena" (Obscene Figure). So no pretense, it knows what it is.

#33 Serbia

#34 Finland

”Tähtiin tähyävät” / ”Stargazers”. Turku, Finland

#35 USA

The Blue Mustang at the Denver airport

#36 Taiwan

#37 Brazil

The great poop of Ponta Grossa I know it wasnt supposed to represent a poop but i still have no clue of what it supposed to represent instead, still a masterpiece tho

#38 Portugal

The one on the right.

#39 Scotland

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

#40 France

Behold France's masterpiece! Woinic, the mighty swine of the Ardennes!

#41 Canada

World's largest sausage

#42 Nepal

#43 USA

(Has since been taken down) Nathan Bedford Forrest, Confederate General and Ku Klux Klan leader, Nashville, Tennessee

#44 Poland

Poland. Yep, it's John Paul II

#45 Austria

I love this thread! Here is our.

#46 Lithuania

It's like an equivalent of the banana taped to the wall. The OG ragebait

#47 India

Not a statue, but this is the National Fisheries Development Board's office building in my hometown of Hyderabad. It is an eyesore.

#48 Poland

Maybe “ugly” isn’t the right word but it is certainly something. Sexy horse from Konin.

#49 USA

How about "National Velvet" by artist John McEnroe, Denver, CO? Everyone knows and talks about Blucifer, our bronco from hell, but everyone forgets about this sculpture that looks like a pile of stockings filled with concrete and painted red. To me it always looks like a pile of human kidneys.