This weekend Prague delivered another few days of beautiful weather for my friend Gina's visit, which was much appreciated and very, very nice. As we were wandering from the Lennon Wall along to Kampa Park and some of Černý's creepy, grounded babies we crossed over a little stream. On one side a wall came up to our middles and was lightly fenced above that with barbed wire, and on the fence were various padlocks. It reminded me a bit of something I might have seen in Postmodernism last semester, thinking on Warhol's pack-ratting, Broodthaers' Department of Eagles, accumulation, maybe some fetishism in there. (It's been awhile.) Many of the locks had couples' names or initials scratched into the surface or markered on. Maybe it's sappy, but I really liked these chains of padlocks and pairs. At least the barbed wire gives it edge.
Below, some photos. (I don't know if anyone else will enjoy them as much as I do, so, apologies.) I tried to look this up, wondering if it was a springtime tradition for Prague, but Google failed me. (Or, more likely, I failed Google.) If anyone has some insight, I'd be happy to hear it. If not, I'll just enjoy the looks of it.
...And they all lived happily ever after?
Caitlin, this was big in Greece too... I can't remember exactly what its origins were, but lovers will write their names on locks and leave them across the city as a symbol of their permanent (hopefully, lol) love.
ReplyDeleteOh cool! Thanks Stacy. :)
ReplyDeleteGoogle didn't fail me! I just got back from Prague, saw the same locks and was wondering the same thing. THANKS to Stacy, Google and the Bloggosphere!
ReplyDelete