The Dutch city of Rotterdam was nearly completely destroyed during World War II and left as rubble, after which it was quickly rebuilt by erecting many concrete shoebox-style buildings. To counter this impersonal and monotonous architecture, a group of artists decided to create a bunch of interesting and offbeat art installations to liven up the city.
The Kunst en Vaarwerk artist collective has developed a few influential pop art pieces around Rotterdam over the last few decades, and one of their best-known creations is the “Hat of Lou Bandy.” Created in 1985, the piece takes the form of a giant Oxford 1896-style straw hat floating upside-down in a lake.
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