In 1965, Amsterdam received a special gift from Pablo Picasso: Figure découpée, also known as the flat fish or flat bird. The nearly 8-meter-tall artwork was installed at the entrance of Vondelpark to mark the park’s 100th anniversary. Picasso donated it to the city as a token of his friendship with Willem Sandberg, former director of the Stedelijk Museum.
Although intended as a bird, the public saw a fish—hence the nickname. The work was executed by Norwegian artist Carl Nesjar using a special technique called betography. Picasso insisted: the sculpture must remain in public space forever.
