Sculptpedia Statues, Busts and Sculptures Park sculptures and installations Ancient World & Antiquity Middle Ages & Renaissance Marble & Other Stones Bronze & Other Metals

Nine Views

Nine Views is an environmental installation in Zagreb, Croatia, that forms part of a scale model of the Solar System together with Prizemljeno Sunce (The Grounded Sun). The Sun sculpture by Ivan Kožarić was first shown in 1971 and has stood in Bogovićeva Street since 1994. In 2004, artist Ivan Kožarić’s exhibition was followed by the placement of nine planetary models around the city to complete the system. The models and their distances from the Sun are all made to the same scale, 1:680,000,000. The installation was created with little publicity and has remained relatively little known.

A polished spherical sculpture mounted on a textured concrete wall with ivy and a metal plaque below.
Nine Views, shown as a polished sphere mounted on a concrete wall with ivy and a plaque beneath it.
October 2008 © · CC BY 3.0
Brushed metal Mars plaque with engraved lettering, numeric data, and a small spherical detail.
Mars plaque from the Nine Views project, showing engraved text and a small metal sphere.
October 2008 © · CC BY 3.0
Reflective Uranus sphere mounted on a metal plaque against a dark green wall.
Uranus from the Zagreb Solar System project, shown as a reflective sphere on a plaque.
October 2008 © · CC BY 3.0
Neptune plaque beside a shiny metallic sphere mounted on a grey wall.
The Neptune marker from Zagreb’s solar system project, shown with a reflective metallic sphere and information plaque.
October 2008 © · CC BY 3.0
Scratched silver Pluto plaque with a small planet sphere and scientific data.
Pluto plaque from the Zagreb Solar System installation, showing the planet name, model sphere, and data panel.
October 2008 © · CC BY 3.0

Identification

TitleNine Views
TypeArt installation
Related installationZagreb Solar System

Historical context

PurposeTo complete a model of the Solar System
Completion date2004

Creator

ArtistDavor Preis
Related artistIvan Kožarić

Discovery and provenance

Early attempt to identify all planetsStarted in November 2004 on a web forum of the student section of the Croatian Physics Society
Exhibition durationTwo weeks
Exhibition locationJosip Račić Exhibition Hall, Margaretska Street, Zagreb

Physical characteristics

Number of planet modelsNine
Scale1:680,000,000
MaterialNine stainless-steel balls fixed on metal plates
Sun representationA ball of unspecified diameter
Earth representationA bead of unspecified diameter
Earth model diameterAbout 13 cm
Earth model distance from the SunAbout 15 m
Pluto model distance from the SunAbout 590 m

Appearance

DepictionA scale model of the Solar System, with the planets and their distances from the Sun shown proportionally

Iconography and meaning

SymbolismThe planets of the Solar System

Location and ownership

LocationZagreb, Croatia
Sun locationIn front of the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb
Current Sun locationBogovićeva Street, near the Swiss Embassy
Current Sun since1994
Current Sun versionGilded bronze replica
Planet locationsMercury: 3 Margaretska Street; Venus: 3 Ban Josip Jelačić Square; Earth: 9 Varšavska Street; Mars: 21 Tkalčićeva Street; Jupiter: 71 Voćarska Street; Saturn: 1 Račićeva Street; Uranus: 9 Siget, at the garage across the street rather than the residential building; Neptune: Kozari 17; Pluto: Bologna Alley (underpass)
Central sculpturePrizemljeno Sunce (The Grounded Sun)

History and restoration

Sun damage historyVandalized by paint throws, graffiti, attempted arson, and fire; later heavily damaged and still somewhat damaged
Pluto status noteIncluded in the installation before being demoted to dwarf planet; the plaque remains, but the Pluto model has since been ripped off
Public awarenessNot well known among citizens of Zagreb; on a few occasions, individuals or small groups, particularly physics students, discovered that there was a model of the Solar System in Zagreb
PublicityVery little or no publicity
Sun relocationsMoved several times
Sun original materialTinted fiberglass
Sun diameterAbout 2 meters
Sun shapeSphere
Sun current materialBronze
Sun installation dateSpring 1971
Sun first displayed1971
Listed objectsSun, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto