Katowice Like New York? A Giant Bull Divides Residents
A massive sculpture by Rafał Olbiński depicting a bull has been erected on Dworcowa Street in Katowice. Is this truly an appropriate symbol of the city's strength and transformation?
The city of Katowice is celebrating its 160th birthday, an occasion worth celebrating with a bang. The capital of Upper Silesia will host numerous events to mark the occasion, including the three-day music festival "I Love Katowice ," featuring performances by Myslovitz , Dżem , and Coma, among others.
Katowice celebrates its 160th birthday. Photo: Szymon Fischer / UnsplashBut that's not all. In front of the historic railway station on Dworcowa Street, a massive sculpture by Rafał Olbiński has been erected. It is the result of a collaboration between Iwona and Jarosław Wieczorek, the In Corpore Foundation , the sculpture's creator, and the City of Katowice.
An almost five-meter-tall bull stood in KatowiceThe bronze sculpture, which measures 4.75 meters long, 2.41 meters wide, and weighs 1,600 kilograms, depicts a bull . Why? As we read on the foundation's website, it is intended to symbolize the strength, energy , and transformation that Katowice has undergone from a city associated solely with heavy industry to today's center of innovation, business, and culture.
By placing the sculpture in public space, we want to show that Katowice is a city of courage and creative energy, and the bull itself is a symbol of this transformation.
The sculpture will be officially unveiled today, September 11, but a day earlier a media screening took place, attended by its author, founder Iwona Sosnowska-Wieczorek , the mayor of Katowice Marcin Krupa and the Silesian Voivode Marek Wójcik .
Dworcowa in Katowice or New York's Wall Street?"The bull symbolizes strength. I believe this characteristic has always distinguished Katowice . In the past, it manifested itself in the power that fueled the steelworks and mines, but today it represents the energy necessary to transform the city into a modern metropolis . This transformation is taking place before our eyes, and I believe it remains the same force," emphasized Marek Wójcik .
Will Rafał Olbiński's sculpture become a symbol of Katowice , like the Spodek Arena or the Silesian Insurgents Monument ? It's probably too early to say. The bronze bull certainly commands attention and will be hard to miss while strolling along Dworcowa Street .
However, there are voices online from city residents who don't quite see the connection between the bull and the image. Some even joke that Dworcowa has become Katowice's Wall Street , a clear reference to New York's Charging Bull .
As I mentioned, the official unveiling of the work of art is today, so we recommend that you visit the historic station soon and see for yourself this extraordinary work!
