The Grounded Sun: Zagreb’s Unique Attraction

Everybody who’s anybody is sure to be seen sipping a cup of kava on Saturdays in Bogoviceva Street. But even the shiniest of  personalities have trouble attracting all the attention next to the large yellow sculpture located there. On a small junction with Frane Petrica Street is a huge bronze sphere called The Grounded Sun, the work of Croatian artist Ivan Kozaric. It was initially displayed next to Zagreb’s National Theater, but it’s been at its current location since 1994.

Exactly one decade later, in 2004, a different artist, Davor Preis, grew the solar system started by Kozaric by adding the grounded planets of our solar system to the grounded sun. This was done respecting the scale of real astronomical bodies. By calculating the size of grounded sun, Preis determined how far the planets must be apart in order to imitate real-life distances. He also carefully measured how big they needed to be in relation to Bogoviceva’s sun.

In real life, Mercury is around 75 million kilometers from sun. So Preis put his Mercury 75 meters from the Grounded Sun (it is located in Margaretska Street). Pluto is the farthest planet in the solar system, being 7.5 billion kilometers away from the central star. Preis’s Pluto is located in Aleja Bologne Street, approximately 7.5 regular kilometers from the Bogoviceva installation.

Here are the locations of all the planets (they are actually bulged spheres, framed with an explanation and measurements). If you are a fan of astronomy, you might want to seek out these  pieces of art, known under common name “Nine Views”

Mercury – 3 Margaretska Street

Venus – 3 Ban Josip Jelacic Square

Earth – 9 Varsavska Street

Mars – 21 Tkalciceva Street

Jupiter – 71 Vocarska Street

Saturn – 1 Raciceva Street

Uranus – 9 Siget

Neptune – Kozari Way

Pluto – Bologna Alley (underpass)

Find them all and… well, rejoice! You’ve discovered one of the least known secrets of Zagreb!

Featured Photo: Vlado Santic