Spring makes you want to spend more time outdoors. And when you can combine nature walks with artistic experiences, it’s the perfect combo! Our review features five sculpture parks.
Xieng Khuan (Buddha Park)
Xieng Khuan Sculpture Park — though everyone knows it by its easier-to-pronounce if not entirely accurate name “Buddha Park” — sits on the banks of the Mekong River, a half-hour tuk-tuk ride from Vientiane, Laos’s capital. It was designed in 1958 by Luang Pu (“Venerable Grandfather”), an eccentric yogi-monk-shaman and sculptor who embraced not only Hindu philosophy and its offspring Buddhism but also mysticism as the essence of all sacred teachings. The park houses over two hundred concrete sculptures of religious and mythological figures, darkened by time and tropical humidity: depictions of Buddha, Vishnu, and Shiva, along with other Hindu deities and demons. The park’s signature pieces are a 40-meter statue of the enlightened Prince Siddhartha Gautama, lying on his right side with a contemplative half-smile, and a pumpkin-shaped three-tiered sphere representing heaven, our mortal world, and hell. Remarkably, all the sculptures were created by Luang Pu and his devoted disciples, none of whom had any formal art training.
Krasnodar
The Krasnodar City Park — also known as Galitsky Park — built by philanthropist and former Magnit retail chain owner Sergey Galitsky, is a masterpiece of landscape and garden design. Its vast 23-hectare territory is interwoven with paths leading to park installations, recreation, and sports areas, numerous fountains, and leisure zones. One of the park’s main attractions is its collection of art objects and installations. For example, the Upside-Down Drop, cast in stainless steel and placed in the middle of an artificial pond, resembles a location pin and symbolizes a moment frozen in metal. The Artificial Environment bas-relief, crafted from white plastic mesh, explores the concept of play in our digital age. The Solar System art installation offers a view of parading planets — illuminated from within at night, seemingly transporting viewers into space. The slightly unsettling, sun-gleaming figures of four children facing different directions — the Inner Child installation — represents the artist’s interpretation of creative freedom. One of Krasnodar’s most popular areas is the Japanese Garden, complete with teahouses, pagodas, ponds, and even a high-end Japanese restaurant called Ryotei.
Fondation Maeght
The Maeght Foundation, situated in the picturesque village of Saint-Paul-de-Vence on the French Riviera, is a prime destination for a short excursion from Nice, just 25 km away. This magnificent museum, established by renowned art dealers Aimée and Marguerite Maeght over 60 years ago, became France’s first private cultural center. Its collection encompasses over 13,000 artworks, including pieces by masters like Joan Miró (labyrinth), Marc Chagall (mosaics), and Alberto Giacometti (courtyard sculptures). The buildings form what appears to be a small Provençal village, perfectly integrated into the French Riviera’s lush landscape. As befits a major cultural institution, the Maeght Foundation regularly hosts temporary exhibitions, lectures, and concerts in its outdoor spaces and galleries. The facility also includes a bookstore and library.
Inhotim
Located 60 km from Belo Horizonte, in the heart of Brazil’s Minas Gerais state, Inhotim is Latin America’s largest and one of the world’s biggest open-air art museums. Conceived in the 1980s and established about 20 years ago by billionaire Bernardo Paz, it’s essentially an artistic “Disneyland for adults.” Just like at Disneyland, visitors receive a map at the entrance to help navigate the grounds and choose their preferred attractions. Spread across more than 140 ha(including 24 pavilions), the park showcases roughly 700 works by artists and sculptors from dozens of countries, some acquired through artist residencies. The collection features international stars like Yayoi Kusama, Anish Kapoor, and Steve McQueen. Popular highlights include Chris Burden’s Beam Drop installation featuring 71 steel beams embedded in cement, Olafur Eliasson’s kaleidoscopic Viewing Machine, and Doug Aitken’s Sonic Pavilion, where microphones capture Earth’s sounds from 200 m below.
MUSAN
An underwater art park? Why not — especially off the Mediterranean coast near the resort town of Ayia Napa — or more precisely, beneath it. In 2021, MUSAN underwater sculpture museum opened 200 m from Pernera Beach at a depth of 8–10 m(accessible to scuba divers, freedivers, and snorkelers alike), featuring nearly a hundred works by British sculptor and photographer Jason deCaires Taylor. These life-sized underwater sculptures are crafted from environmentally friendly, inert, pH-neutral materials. They serve as a framework for developing an artificial reef.
Photo: Vostock Photo, shutterstock.com
