The Guardian Angel for Travellers
by Niki de Saint Phalle

By Fida Wild

Art doesn't always have to hang on walls or be placed on floors. The Guardian Angel by Niki de Saint Phalle soars fifteen metre (49ft) above the train travellers in Zürich's main station.

It was quite a venture to bring this eleven metre (36ft) long and 1,5 tonne heavy Guardian Angel to her place. The angel was constructed in the United States and was too big and heavy to fit into an airplane. True to a real traveller, the angel took the longer and more adventurous route via ship and truck to arrive at her final destination in 1997.

Niki de Saint Phalle created the colourful and sumptuous L'Ange Protecteur to watch over all travellers. Her earliest Nana's provoked scandals but also made her famous throughout the world. Many of them have since become landmarks in numerous cities.

As expected, not everybody took to the Guardian Angel without critic. For some, the faceless head was too small compared to the big breasts, and others found her kitschy beyond good taste.

Meanwhile, L'Ange Protecteur continues to pour energy from pot to pot. The sparks seem to touch travellers, and more people than not are very fond of her.

Several years back, my sister gave me a card with the Guardian Angel as a good luck charm for my 4-month trip through South East Asia. It worked. Since then, L’Ange Protecteur takes care of me wherever I go.

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