“Water Legends” moved to the capital venue of the 17th FINA World Championships

19th July 2017, Budapest- the animated animal sculptures known from the popular video spot of the 17th FINA World Championships were set up and designed by one of the biggest Hungarian contemporary artists, the internationally acknowledged, Miklós Gábor Szőke. The different pieces of the Water Legends sculpture series can be seen on more venues of the championships in the capital.

The central idea of the video spot of the 17th FINA World Championships, directed by Péter Juhász, was to embody the six disciplines of the Aquatic World Championships by using water creatures. These legendary animals show similarity both in their abilities and features to the characteristics of certain sports: swimming is symbolized by the most fearsome animal of the seas, the shark, open water swimming is presented by the “wanderer” of the seas, the whale. With its characteristic movements dolphin became the symbol of acrobatic diving, while orca in high diving, synchronized schools of fish in synchronized swimming and octopus in water polo became the emblems.

Alexandra Szalay-Bobrovniczky, deputy lord mayor, expressed her conviction that people visiting Budapest for the time of the FINA World Championships would enjoy the exceptional cultural values of Budapest. “As deputy lord mayor responsible for culture I believe it is very important that everybody who visits Budapest should be part of this unforgettable cultural experience regardless the purpose of their visit. I believe that by the newly implemented investments the Municipality of Budapest made our capital homier for the inhabitants. As host of the event, Budapest has been renewed in more aspects, the mascots created of Miklós Gábor Szőke will not only enrich the image of the city but the supporting atmosphere of the championships.”

Received by great success in the film, sculptures can be visited on different venues of the Aquatic World Championships from now on. In the supporter zone of the Danube Arena, the shark, the whale and the dolphin found their homes, and the octopus was moved to the FanZone of the Margaret Island for the time of the Aquatic World Championships. The school of fish can be found in the City Park (Városliget), the venue of the synchronized swimming, while the sculpture of the orca is providing compelling sight at the Batthyány Square, with the Parliament at its background.