This is the Pinocchio statue in Borås, titled “Walking to Borås” which is a bronze monument that stands an impressive nine metres tall and serves as a major landmark for the city. It was created by the renowned American pop artist Jim Dine and was inaugurated in 2008 during the Borås International Sculpture Festival. It depicts the classic wooden puppet mid-stride, apparently symbolising the universal human journey toward wisdom and truth which seems a noble thing.
There’s Richard at the bottom for scale. Apparently the choice of an Italian folk character for a Swedish textile city initially sparked a great deal of debate among locals, but it’s now become a local icon and a little bit of a tourist destination. And weighing in at eight tonnes, it’s not exactly a subtle little arrangement.