CowParade


CowParade is an international public art exhibit that has featured in major world cities. Fiberglass sculptures of cows are decorated by local artists, and distributed over the city centre, in public places such as train stations, important avenues, and parks. They often feature artwork and designs specific to local culture, as well as city life and other relevant themes.
After the exhibition in the city, which may last many months, the statues are auctioned off and the proceeds donated to charity.
There are a few variations of shape, but the three most common shapes of cow were created by Pascal Knapp, a Swiss-born sculptor who was commissioned to create the cows specifically for the CowParade series of events. Pascal Knapp owns the copyrights to the standing, lying, and grazing cow shapes used in the CowParade events.

History

The concept of "cow parade" has its origins in Zürich, Switzerland, in 1998 by artistic director Walter Knapp, it is based on an idea which was realised in the same city for the first time in 1986: Lions as the symbol of Zurich were painted and then on display throughout the city.
The Zürich exhibit 1998 was not called "cow parade" - it was called Land in Sicht. The concept was brought to the United States when Chicago businessman Peter Hanig, along with Commissioner of Cultural Affairs Lois Weisberg, organized an event in Chicago in 1999 called Cows on Parade. A Swiss company, CowHolding Parade AG, started to explore the idea. The American company capitalizing on this idea, CowHolding Parade, was founded in 1999; the Swiss company promptly sued but the case fizzled out without results. A bronze casting of one of the cows is on permanent display in Chicago in commemoration of the city's initial exhibition.
The success of this venture inspired many other cities to host similar fundraising projects. The idea has been taken up by other cities which have chosen animals for public art projects with painted fiberglass sculptures.

Cows

Some CowParade cities

The phenomenon of CowParade has spawned copy-cat statue decorating projects in a number of cities worldwide.
Zürich itself has adapted the bear theme in the "Teddy-Summer" in 2005.

Asia

LocationNameExhibitsDate
's-HertogenboschGarden of Earthly Delights sculpture trailFigures taken from the Hieronymus Bosch work The Garden of Earthly Delights2016
AberdeenWild Dolphins50 Dolphins2014
Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow and InvernessOor Wullie's Big Bucket Trail60 WulliesJune 17, 2019 for 6 weeks
Ashford, KentSnowdogs Discover Ashford55 SnowdogsSeptember 12-November 18 2018
BathKing Bladud's Pigs104 pigs2008
BathLions of Bath100 lions2010
BerlinBuddy Bear Berlin Show350 Buddy Bears2001 and 2002
Berlin + since 2004 worldwideUnited Buddy Bears Worldtour150 United Buddy Bears2002 and 2003, since 2004 worldwide
This adopts the Cowparade idea to Berlin's town mascot; however the entailing United Buddy Bears exhibitions are very different from all other urban events. The bears were created by the German artists Klaus and Eva Herlitz. The idea and the philosophy behind the United Buddy Bears exhibitions are unique: with its international approach and its symbolism, this synthesis of the arts globally promotes tolerance, international understanding and a peaceful coexistence.
BirminghamBig Hoot89 owlsJuly 20 to September 27, 2015
BirminghamBig Sleuth100 sun bearsJuly 10 to September 17, 2017
BournemouthPride in Bournemouth50 lions2011
BristolShaun in the CityShaun the Sheep visits Bristol in the summer 2015, after the spring 2015 visit to London. To coincide with Shaun the Sheep Movie.2015
BristolWow! Gorillas61 gorillas2011
BristolGromit Unleashed80 Gromits2013,
ChesterRhino Mania70 rhinos2010
ColchesterStand tall112 giraffes2013
CopenhagenElephant Parade102 baby elephants2011 June
DortmundDortmunder Nashorn120 rhinos2005, expanded for 2006 FIFA World Cup
GlasgowClyde's Mascot Trail25 Clydes, the mascot of the 2014 Commonwealth Games2014
HamburgHans Hummel100 Hans Hummel2003
HannoverElefanten-Parade45 elephants2004
HasseltElephant Parade2012
HeerlenElephant Parade2011
IstanbulShoe Art500 shoes2008 September
HullLarkin with Toads40 toads2010
KaiserslauternFishing for Phantasy250 fish2001
LeipzigLeOLips100 lions2002
LiverpoolGo Superlambananas!125 Superlambananas2008
LiverpoolGo Penguins142 penguins2009
LondonWhat's in your DNA?21 double helix sculptures including designed by Zaha Hadid, Orla Kiely and Ai WeiweiJune 29 – September 6, 2015
LondonShaun in the City50 Shaun the Sheeps. Associated with a parade in Bristol in the summer 2015, and release of Shaun the Sheep MovieMarch 28 to May 25, 2015
LondonYear of the Bus Sculpture Trails41 buses2014
LondonElephant Parade2010
LondonThe Big Egg Hunt2012
LondonThe Paddington Trail50 Paddington Bears2014
London83 Wenlock and Mandeville mascots2012
LondonTusk Rhino Trail21 RhinosSeptember 2018
ManchesterBee in the CityOver 100 beesJuly 23 to September 23, 2018
MunichLöwenparade500 lions2004
Neustadt an der AischAischgruender Karpfen120 carp2008 September
Newport South Wales, UKSuperDragons60 dragons2010
NorthamptonPride of Northampton2010
NorwichGo Elephants54 baby elephants2008
NorwichGoGoGorillas!53 gorillas2013
NorwichGoGoDragons!84 large dragons, 120 school dragons2015
ParisPathé Roosters50 roosters2021
SalisburyThe Barons Charter25 baronsJune 2 to September 6, 2015
SheffieldHerd of Sheffield58 elephants2016
SouthamptonGo Rhinos!rhinos2013
VersmoldBunte Borstenviecher120 pigs2007
WellsSwans of Wells60 swans2012, to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II
WolverhamptonWolves in Wolves30 wolvesJuly - September 2017
WuppertalPinguinale200 penguins2006
ZürichTeddy-Summer''630 teddy-bears2005

North America

CowParade has been criticized by contributing artists for their selectivity standards; David Lynch's cow with its flesh partially ripped off, and organs showing, was rejected. The explanation is that this particular CowParade cow was rejected by the City of New York, not the CowParade organisation.
A Swedish organization called The Militant Graffiti Artists of Stockholm kidnapped and decapitated one of the cows of the Stockholm event in protest of the publicly provisioned cows carrying advertisements.