"Push-ups" Bus: The strongest athlete in London 2012 Olympics

I heard this many times that the tour wouldn’t complete without try the double-decker bus when visiting London. What is the double-decker actually? A double-decker bus is a bus that has two decks or storey. This transportation commonly found in certain parts of Europe and Asia. We also found double-decker bus in former British colonies, like: Singapore, Hongkong, etc. Most of these transportations have a single, rigid chassis. Some double-deckers are usually used for sight-seeing tours. So, many people said that the best way to see London is from the top of double-decker.

Riding a red double-decker bus in London is like a dream. So, the red double-decker bus is like a national symbol of England. I know that most of Londoners these buses are simply some of the ways they get around. But for the tourist, “This is London” to enjoy the entire city from the top deck of a London double-decker bus. Kind of this transportation is in common use throughout the United Kingdom. In the mid-1990s, the bus has length about 9.5 metres to 11 metres. But, generally the red double-decker bus in UK has 12.0 metres in length and 13.75 metres for many newer models. Based on the history Miss Phyllis Thompson became the first woman who have licensed to drive a double-decker in UK (in 1941). A simple question is “where to sit on a London double-decker bus”? Many tourists want to sit on the top deck of a double-decker bus. They can get there from the stairs and most of the stairs are behind the driver. The driver sits on the right.

Most of the world athletes joined the Summer Olympic Games in London. I heard that more than 10,000 athletes from 204 NOCs (National Olympic Committees) are participated to this event. It’s officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad. The event began on 27 July and will continue until 12 August 2012. The majority of events have been divided into three zones in London, like: the Olympic Zone, the Central Zone and the River Zone. So, London's public transport was an element of the world’s big event like Olympic Games. Many visitors have several options to choose the transportation which take them to the location of the event. Double-decker is one of alternative transportation for them.

There are many ways to welcome the Olympic Games in London, such as Olympic Opening Ceremony. But I found something unique to commemorate the 2012 Olympics which held in London. It’s a mechanical sculpture made from a traditional London bus. We talk about transformation. The 1957 bus has been transformed into the greatest artwork by the world-renowned Czech sculptor David Cerny.

This bus has two giant arms and an electrical engine. The artwork namely London Booster has been placed in north London. The exactly place is outside the Czech Olympic House in Islington. The Czech House was opened to general public and also offering cultural, sport and social entertainment for the duration of the Olympic Games. This place officially opens on 27 July, at 10 am. Czech House itself is run by the Czech Olympic Committee and supported of many business partners and institutional from the Czech Republic.

Cerny hope that the London Booster will become the unofficial mascot of the Games. Cerny bought the bus from an owner in the Netherlands. The artwork named of London Booster. He said that push-ups is one of common exercise for every sportsman in the world. It’s an extraordinary sculpture. The artwork consists of a double-decker London bus manufactured in 1957 with enormous mechanical arms allowing it to do push-ups.

The London booster can move up and down to varying heights and angles of elevation. Cerny also provide additional video and audio content (a groaning voice) through the windows. The windows are made from a continuous television screen. Suspension tools and wiring help the six-tonne double-decker bus doing push-ups on bright red arms. For me, it’s a complex engineering. So, Cerny need about six months of planning and construction. I think most of us agree that "London Booster" is the strongest athlete in London 2012 Olympics, right!

He was born in 1967 in Prague, Czech Republic. He also studied in Academy of Applied Arts (Prof. Kurt Gebauer), Prague in 1988 to 1994. He was a sculptor's residency grant Swiss government in Boswil, Switzerland, in 1991. He got several grants and awards, such as: Special Prize in the Biennale of Kortrijk, Belgium (in 1990), Pollock Krasner Foundation Grant, USA (1996), Chalupecky Prize, National prize for young artist, Czech Republic (2000). Cerny also well known for controversial public sculpture, like: Monument to Soviet Tank Crews (1991). He also famous with other politically charged works, such as: Shark (2005) and Entropa (2008). Other permanent installations are "Mimina / Babies" TV tower in Prague (2001), "Sochy / Brownnosers" Futura Gallery in Prague (2003), “Streams” Hergetova Cihelna in Prague(2004), “bus stop-stil-life” (2005), “Metalmorphosis” fountain (2006), "Golem" in Poland (2008), "Crychloids" in Czech Republic (2011). We can see his collections in Museum of modern Art, San Diego, USA, German Embassy, Prague, Czech Republic, Museum Checkpoint Charlie, Berlin, Germany, Czech Embassy, Washington, USA,etc. His artwork also being featured in publications including The Sunday Times, the Financial Times, The New York Times and The Guardian.

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