Sorry for all the public art lately, but hey, it’s October and there’s a lot of scary stuff out there. Like the Mifletzet, for example, which literally means “the monster” in Hebrew. At first, the Jerusalem Parks Commission rejected artist Niki de Saint Phalle’s sculpture (originally known as “The Golem”) because they believed the art installation would be too scary for children. But it has since become one of the city’s most beloved landmarks. The artist once said when describing her piece that “scary things are good because they help children conquer their fears.” And that is certainly true at the playground on the corner of Tahon and Chile streets in the Kiryat Hayovel neighborhood where the Mifletzet is located. For over forty years children climb a twisting staircase along the sculpture’s back and slide down one of its three red tongues. And then do it again and again. It might not look kid-friendly but looks can be deceiving.
The Mifletzet – “the monster” in Hebrew
