MAK - Austrian Museum of Applied Arts / Contemporary Art present SIGNS TAKEN IN WONDER: Searching for Contemporary Istanbul on view until April 21, 2013.
Content warning: From the vibrant walls of the Netherlands to creatures chalked onto sidewalks, these playful artworks capture the joy and warmth of summer. This collection brings together cheerful murals, beach carvings, nature-sized sculptures, and surreal street art—fr
From the vibrant walls of the Netherlands to creatures chalked onto sidewalks, these playful artworks capture the joy and warmth of summer. This collection brings together cheerful murals, beach carvings, nature-sized sculptures, and surreal street art—from Milan to Wyoming and beyond.
1. Joyful Explosion — Rosalie de Graaf in Zwolle, Netherlands
A massive mural of four children laughing in vivid technicolor covers the side of a residential high-rise. Splashes of paint, bubbles, butterflies, and sea creatures swirl around them. The scene bursts with movement and energy.
Carved directly into the sand, this artwork shows Looney Tunes’ Wile E. Coyote flattened underground. The character is sculpted in a way that mimics classic cartoon slapstick, placed in a wide, empty beach setting under strong summer sun.
3. Flowers for West Town — Ouizi (Louise Jones) in Chicago, USA
Bright yellow daisies, pink peonies, and a red admiral butterfly tower over a Chicago brick building in this floral mural. Painted to look like the flowers are growing from the sidewalk, it fills the entire wall with color and texture.
4. Sluggo in a Jar — Sidewalk chalk by David Zinn, USA
David Zinn’s recurring character Sluggo appears here trapped in a transparent jar chalked around a manhole. His eyes peek out nervously, complete with flippers on his feet. The illusion is carefully drawn to interact with the manhole cover as the jar’s lid. More!: Happy Art by David Zinn! (15 Photos)
A gauze ghost figure draped over a bench overlooks Lake Como. Each summer, visitors to the Castle of Vezio create these chalk-dusted specters by hand, turning the grounds into a silent gathering of seated spirits. More photos and about the sculptures!: Haunting Ghost Sculptures Overlook Lake Como at Castle of Vezio
6. Laundry Day — Golsa Golchini in Milan, Italy
This miniature mural shows a painted woman reaching out of a real window to hang white laundry onto a peeling section of wall, which has been painted to resemble sheets. The artwork blends reality and illusion through its clever positioning and texture. More by Golsa Golchini!: You Might Walk Past These—But They’re Tiny Masterpieces in Disguise
7. Mama Mimi the Troll — Thomas Dambo in Wilson, Wyoming, USA
This large-scale wooden troll reclines in the water at Rendezvous Park. Crafted from scrap wood, she rests her head on her hand while extending her legs across a wooden bridge. Part of Dambo’s mission to bring trolls to public spaces using recycled materials. More by Thomas Dambo!: 10 Giant Trolls Hiding in Forests, Lakes and Ruins
8. A Swing in the Summer Light — ATTORREP in Belsito, Italy
A girl in a white dress swings out from a painted window on a mural set between two old buildings. Her view overlooks mountains and rooftops, with an older man watching from another window. The scene plays with perspective and movement.
A man lounges in a hammock fashioned from a section of chain-link border fence, stretched between two concrete posts in a dry open field. The artwork cleverly subverts the idea of separation by turning it into a symbol of rest and freedom under the summer sky.
11 Beautiful Artworks That Seem to Grow From Nature
Some artworks don’t just sit in nature—they become part of it. Around the world, artists are crafting sculptures and murals that seamlessly merge with their surroundings, using trees, vines, and landscapes as living elements of their work. These 11 pieces don’t fight against nature; they grow with it.
From giant figures emerging from forests to street art that transforms urban greenery into playful illusions, these eight stunning creations prove that art and nature can exist in perfect harmony.
1. “Sleeping Child” by El Decertor (Imbabura, Ecuador)
A mural by El Decertor in Imbabura, Ecuador, depicting a young child sleeping against a concrete wall, with creeping ivy blending into the painting as a natural blanket.
2. “UMI” by Daniel Popper (Illinois, USA)
“UMI” by Daniel Popper at the outdoor tree museum The Morton Arboretum in Illinois, USA—an intricate wooden sculpture of a woman with tree roots weaving through her body, set in a green landscape.
A beautiful example of accidental nature-inspired art—kindergarten children dropped seeds into sidewalk cracks, leading to a spontaneous floral pathway.
6. “Nature Rings” by Spencer Byles (Deep Forest, France)
A series of woven circular sculptures by Spencer Byles made from natural branches, blending seamlessly with the surrounding forest.
7. Willow Archer by Anna & The Willow (UK)
A woven willow sculpture of a female archer by Anna & The Willow, set against a wooded path.
8. Wire Mermaid by Martin Debenham (UK)
A wire sculpture by Martin Debenham of a mermaid sitting on a rock, with the intricate metalwork mimicking flowing water.
9. Snake in the Green — Hyères, France
A plain gray cinderblock wall in a hidden grove was completely transformed into a lifelike snake by street artist Rest4. The viper, rendered in vibrant greens, blues, and yellows, emerges from the shadows of the forest floor. The before-and-after framing reveals the power of imagination to awaken forgotten spaces.
Land artist Jon Foreman created this delicate, wave-like gradient in a woodland clearing using carefully arranged leaves. Starting in green and fading to deep orange, the sculpture blends with the forest floor in color, shape, and motion—appearing to ripple like wind through grass. More by Jon Foreman: 9 Leaf Sculptures That Stir the Soul in the Forest (Art by Jon Foreman)
11. Florinda Camila — “WA” Marko Franco Domenak in Lima, Peru
This creative mural cleverly incorporates a real bougainvillea bush as the hair of a painted woman. A monarch butterfly completes the peaceful scene, adding movement to this blend of paint and nature.
