By Mariana Apéstegui Pinto **Dancing, in love and covered with coffee beans, they come in all sizes and colors and can now be found in San Jose's main streets thanks to a initiative from Vallas y Gigantografías de Costa Rica S.A and the Municipality of San Jose.
What are they? Cows. Artistic cows, to be specific.
What started as the brainchild of prominent Swiss window decorator Walter Knapp in 1997, today has become an artistic event recognized the world over, one that helps charities such as the Special Olympics, Save the Children and the Dana Farer Cancer Institute while also promoting art and talent by exhibiting the creative works of the more than 10,000 international artist who have participated in the event throughout the years.
The traditional brown cows found all over Knapp's native countryside inspired the concept behind the event. So eccentric and nontraditional was his chosen format for the canvas upon which creative works of art would be presented, that the event the public's attention from the moment it immediately captured was inaugurated in 1999, when the first of many cow exhibitions was held in Zurich. Today, the life-size cow format continues to be the emblem of the event, which reached America in June of that same year, debuting in Chicago.
Since then, the event has become a brand, taking on the name "CowParade," and has been presented in more than 50 cities across the globe, including Denver, London, Paris, Moscow, Cape Town and Tokyo.
Joining the list, these artistic cows can now be seen walking the streets of San Jose.
The company Vallas y Gigantograflas de Costa Rica S.A organized the event, and the cows will be kept on public display for three months. They can be found along the capital city's Central, Second and Fourth Avenues, at the Plaza de la Cultura and at Morazán Park.
One of the cows was created by Costa Rican artist Ana Garro and is part of the 120 designs chosen. With the name of "We are Gold," it shows the sculpture of a golden boy breast-feeding from the cow's udder, analogizing the "homeland" as the cow and childhood with old age.
The child symbolizes the golden value of all Costa Ricans, in the same sense as with our elder or golden citizens, says Garro.
When its trip through San Jose
ends, the cow will be exhibited at Multiplaza Mall, in Escazu.
