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Finding hidden art can be surprisingly fun
It's like spotting little surprises tucked away in places you'd normally walk right past.
It also turns a regular walk through the city into a bit of a treasure hunt, where you never quite know what you might notice next.
Like these little 'cement' figures all over George Town in Penang:
Hidden across Penang's UNESCO World Heritage streets are around 20 miniature human figures
Installed in 2024 as part of the George Town Festival by Spanish artist Isaac Cordal, these "sad, little figurines" are still tucked into corners across the heritage streets today.
The project, known as Cement Eclipses, has been installed in cities across Europe, America and Asia. The same bald, middle-aged man in a grey suit appears everywhere — a deliberate choice by Cordal.
"The character is always the same because that repetition and uniformity are part of the message," he explained to SAYS.
"We all seem to come from the same assembly line, from the same mould. But the meaning changes with every location, because the space gives the sculpture a new layer of significance each time."
Standing at 17cm to 20cm tall, they can be found perched on ledges, sitting on electrical boxes, hiding in window nooks, or blending into building facades like they have always belonged there
And that is kind of the point
"I believe the value of these pieces lies in their condition of being out of context, abandoned to their fate in public space, without the shelter of the artistic framework; and in how, in their apparent insignificance, they seem to become a reflection of ourselves," he shared with SAYS.
"These are subtle interventions that barely modify the space, that are not invasive, but that, once discovered, seem to fit naturally, as if they had always been there, like just another neighbour."
Some wear tiny suits like exhausted office workers. Others look like tourists frozen mid-trip. A few just sit there with slumped shoulders, hooded heads, or blank stares, as if quietly questioning everything.
It is oddly funny… and a little too relatable.
"I am interested in that mixture of recognition and strangeness: the feeling of seeing yourself reflected in something small and apparently insignificant, and finding that both funny and a little unsettling," he added, saying he prefers to leave the emotions and meaning open to the spectator.
These sculptures were not meant to be a loud, in-your-face installation. Instead, they were designed to hide.
And that is what turned them into something of a city-wide treasure hunt.
Part of the appeal is how unassuming they are. You don't "see" them unless you slow down. And in a city like George Town, full of murals, cafés, and heritage architecture, they blend in so well that noticing them feels like a small reward.
And maybe that is why these tiny cement figures, with all their quiet sadness, feel so strangely human.
Cordal installed the pieces across George Town in July 2024, with help from the George Town Festival team and volunteers
Instead of disappearing after the festival, many of the figures stayed behind, slowly becoming part of the city's landscape and turning into a long-term interactive art experience.
"I think it can create cracks in perception. It will not transform a city, but it can make someone look at a familiar place with different eyes, even for a moment. A small sculpture in the right place can interrupt that automatism," he shared.
"I hope it inspires people to pay attention to the small details."
If you are up for a mini art hunt, here are some known spots where the figures are hiding:
– GTF @ Capri Penang
– Biscotti Cafe
– Curios-City Penang
– Armenian Street Junction
– Warehouse 129
– Kedai Kopi Lean Thye
– Lebuh Ah Quee
– U.A.B Building
– Mano Plus Select Store
– The Courtyard, Beach Street
– 56 Lorong Pasar
– Penang Straits and Oriental Museum
– Behind 39 Love Lane
– 33 Love Lane
– Journal Georgetown
Click here for the locations.
