Tübingen, Germany

Pi-Chacán

This giant statue of a vulva became internationally famous after an American exchange student got stuck in it.

Since 2001, a massive vulva-shaped sculpture has graced the rear entrance of the Institute for Virology and Microbiology at Tübingen University. The sculpture remained largely unknown to many—that is, until an American student got stuck in it.

Fernando de la Jara, a Peruvian artist, created Pi-Chacán. The name derives from his native Quechua language and means “making love.” The artist intended to create an ode to life and healing, a theme that fits well the numerous hospitals and biomedical research institutions close to the sculpture.

The sculpture was erected in a rather remote area of the university campus. But in 2014, an American student studying abroad in Germany came across the striking anatomical depiction and decided to pose for pictures with it along with some friends. The student climbed into the giant marble vulva and became stuck. Twenty-two firefighters arrived at the scene to help ease him out, head first. Fortunately, the artwork was not damaged during the process.

The story of the trapped student received a lot of attention from the media, bringing the intriguing artwork out of the shadows and putting it in the international spotlight.