The statue appeared overnight
A mysterious statue was installed outside a clinic in Bristol.(Image: Submitted image)
A mysterious statue of a girl’s grey dress appeared overnight (Thursday, July 24 – Friday, July 25) near College Green in Bristol city centre.
The statue was spotted outside the CREATE Fertility Bristol clinic without any indication as to the meaning behind it.
Dr Spiros Liatsikos, the Lead Consultant in IVF and Reproductive Medicine at CREATE Fertility, said everyone was confused by the sudden appearance of the statue.
Dr Liatsikos said: “We were really surprised and confused when we arrived in the clinic this morning to see by our front door in central Bristol a statue of a girl’s grey dress.
A mysterious statue was installed outside a clinic in Bristol.(Image: Submitted image)
“People were passing by and stopped with curiosity to watch such an unusual statue in front of a fertility clinic.
“We initially thought that the ‘perpetrator’s’ intention could be to pass a negative message about IVF, given also the dull colour of the artwork.
“But then we thought that today is World Embryology Day and might be someway related to that.”
A well-known artist later claimed responsibility for the statue and posted on Instagram, saying it was in recognition of World IVF Day, which was on Friday.
The artist, known online as ‘gettinguptostuff’, is known for a suicide prevention statue which first appeared at Berkeley Place in September 2020.
Staff at CREATE Fertility Bristol with the statue.(Image: Submitted image)
World IVF Day commemorates the birthday of the first baby born using IVF, Louise Brown in 1978.
Louise now lives in Bristol with her family, having being born in Oldham.
Dr Liatsikos said: “Indeed, the artist’s photos and comments on social media reveal his willingness to commemorate World IVF Day, marking the birthday of Louise Brown from Bristol, the first IVF baby, on this date in 1978.
“This is a day to acknowledge the significant contribution of Embryologists to assisted reproductive technology and to celebrate their vital role in helping individuals and couples achieve their dream of parenthood.”