Karl Marx Statues By Ottmar Hörl Commemorate German Philosopher's 195th Birthday (PHOTO)

Why Are There 500 Little Karl Marx Gnomes?

In honor of Marx's 195th birthday yesterday, artist Ottmar Hörl placed 500 statues of the bearded thinker throughout his hometown of Tier, Germany. The miniature Marx men were all the same size and shape, yet all cast in different shades of red.

ottmar hoerl

"I want to encourage passersby to rethink Marx," Hörl told Spiegel Online, reminding us that although the German thinker is associated with labor, capital, and an impressive fortress of facial hair, his true impact is arguably far more complex.

marx statue

This is not Hörl's first time paying artistic homage to a controversial figure, however. In 2009 he gathered 1,250 "Hitler dwarves" -- lawn gnomes performing the Nazi salute -- in a satirical, incendiary display.

What do you think of Hörl's uncanny birthday gesture? Let us know which historical figure you'd like to see shrunk in the comments. in the meantime, check out some more of the artist's work in the slideshow below.

Ottmar Hörl

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