Who is the Old Giant in the Rotterdam Park?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around a replica of the Anancus avernensis displayed in a Rotterdam park, exploring its artistic representation, historical context, and related projects by the sculptor Remie Bakker. Participants share thoughts on the sculpture, its significance, and the broader implications of prehistoric species.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express admiration for the sculpture and its historical representation of the Anancus avernensis.
  • There are humorous remarks about the challenges of assembling items, with references to a fictional Scandinavian species, Anancus ikeansis, which humorously suggests it relied on Allen keys.
  • Questions arise about whether Remie Bakker has created any moving sculptures, with some skepticism about the aesthetic implications of such designs.
  • Participants discuss the potential for future projects, including a large replica of a southern mammoth (Mammuthus meridionalis), and the complexities surrounding the definitions of geological time periods related to these species.
  • There is a mention of a book related to the project, acknowledging contributions from forum members, which adds a personal connection to the discussion.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally share an interest in the sculpture and its context, but there are humorous disagreements and speculative comments regarding the assembly of items and the nature of moving sculptures. The discussion remains open-ended with no consensus on the aesthetic value of moving sculptures or the implications of geological definitions.

Contextual Notes

Participants reference various geological time frames and definitions that are not universally agreed upon, indicating a lack of consensus on the specifics of the Pliocene-Pleistocene boundary.

Who May Find This Useful

Readers interested in paleontology, sculpture, artistic representation of historical figures, and geological time periods may find this discussion engaging.

Andre
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That's the translation of this short news clip that has been broadcast on the local television in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, in a little corner of the park that resembles the biotope in which he may have dwelled some two million years ago.

That old giant is a replica of the Anancus avernensis, sculpted by Remie Bakker, based on the detailed fossil record.

Some may recognise the old guy in the red coat. He has no walking deficiency but he tries to help lifting that body and not to step on the toes of the artist.
 
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Very cool. I loved how the pieces snapped into place. Why is it when I need to assemble something, the pieces never quite fit?
 
For the best entertainment value they should move it around regularly.
= I saw an elephant in the park on saturday night - really ...
 
Evo said:
Why is it when I need to assemble something, the pieces never quite fit?
You have the scandanavian species Anancus ikeansis, it died out when all the Allen keys it relied on disappeared in the ice age
 
Looks like an interesting project! Does Remie ever make any that move? (That might end up just looking Disney-esque, though.)
 
Chat secrets revealed :wink:

No sound?
 
mgb_phys said:
You have the scandanavian species Anancus ikeansis, it died out when all the Allen keys it relied on disappeared in the ice age
:biggrin:
 
Borek said:
Chat secrets revealed :wink:

No sound?
No sound indeed

Well I figured that if the event is youtubeable in the open, then why would I not link to it? But I won't show piX before 3 June, that was the deal, when the Museum reopens where this ikea thinghy will be on permament display. It has been in the park only for a few hours.
 
lisab said:
Looks like an interesting project! Does Remie ever make any that move? (That might end up just looking Disney-esque, though.)

No these are all static models, here is his webside. They are now dreaming of making a replica of a ancestral / southern mammoth (Mammuthus meridionalis) standing over four meters at the shoulder
 
  • #10
Wow, that is very impressive. Thank you Andre.
 
  • #11
IcedEcliptic said:
Wow, that is very impressive. Thank you Andre.

You're welcome, as said there will be pictures later. Incidently, a side remark, looking at the wiki of the ancertral mammoth (well it's an old giant too, but not back yet):

Mammuthus meridionalis is an extinct species of mammoth endemic to Europe and central Asia from the Pliocene, living from 2.5–0.126 mya existing for approximately 2.374 million years...

Too bad, the Pliocene ends 2,59 million years ago. But then again this border with the Pleistocene has been redefined http://www.paleoanthro.org/pdfs/01-IUGS%20Ratification%20notice%20Q%20&%20Pleistocene.pdf after intensive debate, as a result from that, you'll find definitions of the Pliocene-Pleistocene border anywhere from 1.6 - 2.8 million years ago.

But that's OT. This plastic "Mastodon of the Auvergne" is currently on it's way to its destination, the Musée Crozatier in Le Puy-en-Velay in the Auvergne in France.
 
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  • #12
I look forward to pictures of this treasure. Amazing to imagine these mammoths walking about as a herd of elephants might. Imagine the depth and range of their infrasonic communication...
 
  • #13
Andre said:
No sound indeed

Well I figured that if the event is youtubeable in the open, then why would I not link to it? But I won't show piX before 3 June, that was the deal, when the Museum reopens where this ikea thinghy will be on permament display. It has been in the park only for a few hours.

To follow up, here are two pictures of that photoshoot

Andre said:
107j53t.jpg

Andre said:
2ur5jxh.jpg


Pooh, Piglet, come back you two; heffalumps don't bite.
 
  • #14
Time to necropost.

Obviously there is also a book going with this.

http://www.eja-editions.com/fiche-produit.php?id_produit=113.

Just got my copy in.

It happens that the names of three members of PF is in the acknowledgments. A bad spelling bear of little brain who made some translating attempts and two native-tongue friends who transformed that into flawless English.
 
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  • #15
Congrats, Andre, I know how it is to see your work on paper :wink:
 

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