Gabor M Szoke Walking puliman 2023 Made from steel Includes certification (Size with pedestal (fixed with the artworks): 5,83 ft/178 cm height 3,44 ft/105 cm length 1,47 ft/45 cm width An iconic piece in the Puli series by the artist known for his public sculptures around the world. This Flying puli is one of the newest pieces in the Puli series. Szoke’s first puli sculpture was monumental public piece which was made in 2013 on the National Mall in Washington D.C. This sculpture is a small-sized indoor version of the puli, made in the artist's characteristic style of welding many pieces of steel bar. The sculpture comes with a handcrafted wood base, with hand sign and plate sign. Gábor Miklós Szőke’s sculpture is both homage and provocation: a paraphrase of Umberto Boccioni’s iconic Unique Forms of Continuity in Space — but instead of quoting it, he engages in conversation with it, even argues. While Boccioni’s futurist figure celebrates technological progress and forward momentum, Szőke’s character refuses to become a hero. Instead, it sticks its tongue out at the whole idea. It doesn’t rush toward the future — it strides through it with irony. The yellow-painted rebar, the industrial materials, the grotesque gesture — all of these are local references: construction materials, 80s nostalgia, the spirit of playgrounds. The sculpture is built from these — from local visual memories, from a shared identity. Yet it’s not nostalgic, and it doesn’t gaze backwards. This figure is in motion — deliberately contemporary, fresh, full of momentum — but it never forgets where it came from. In this way, it becomes both local and global, timely and timeless. The tongue-out gesture becomes a game, a critique, and an affectionate nod — all at once. ABOUT THE ARTIST Gabor M. Szoke internationally lauded sculptor and contemporary artist best known for his monumental, industrially wrought animal sculptures. The artist was born in 1984 in Budapest, Hungary. He studied at the Hungarian University of Fine Arts and at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera in Milan. Despite his young age he has more than 100 artworks worldwide on three continents, which have all become a defining and emblematic element of their surroundings. His artworks can be found in the most progressive and highlighted parts of public squares and institutions, such as the Mercedes- Benz Stadium in Atlanta in front of the CNN headquarters, or in the heart of Moscow, or in the collection of the King of Bahrain. He holds the record for the biggest equine statue in Europe and the largest avian sculpture in the world. One of his most well-known work is the Atlanta Falcon, designed for the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, surpasses this record with a wingspan of 72 feet. His creations are made of stainless steel and bronze. More information: www.gabormszoke.com