Nothing to look down upon!

The underground sewer covers were an epiphanic moment, as a whole new world opened up before me and I became 'Alice in Drain Cover Wonderland', writes Vidya Murali

While walking about in Copenhagen, eyes are always turned upwards, taking in the splendid spires, handsome towers and dressy façades of the innumerable borgs, kirks and apartments cramming the skyline. But I chanced to look down just once, to watch my step on a wet sidewalk. And what did I see? A manhole cover.

Yes, the round, cast-iron disc used for covering holes leading to underground sewer, gas and electrical lines — the same. I was zapped.

That was the epiphanic moment when a whole new world opened up before me and I became ‘Alice in Drain Cover Wonderland’.

Before you start rolling your eyes, let me describe the said object: it was a large dark medallion, engraved with an attractive, Art Nouveau-esque motif, a flamboyant swirl of fanciful creatures, detailed with fine lines. On the edges were some numerals, initials and the word Kobenhavn (native name of the city).

I couldn’t stop gaping. That was supposed to be walked upon? I would have put it on my wall. Art, very simply, is an expression that kindles interest and emotive resonance in a viewer, elevating an ordinary sight into an extraordinary vision.

And the best kind of art is that which transforms a mundane object of utility into a thing of beauty, melding with the process of living rather than standing aloof as art for art’s sake. The humble drain cover too can become a valid art object. And that was what I was looking at.

A child's art!

Drain-spotting anyone?

Drain-spotting, it turned out, is a legitimate hobby with a worldwide following and, like philately, has its own dedicated fans who actively discuss, display and exchange the latest styles in manhole cover art. Japan even publishes manhole cover collectible cards. It goes without saying that the art form gained an instant convert that fateful noon and for the rest of my time in Copenhagen, hunting for art on pavements became a dominant activity.

Spotting an uncelebrated manhole cover was as thrilling as locating a celebrated fountain. My skin grew impervious to odd looks from strangers, as I focused my mobile phone on getting the best possible shots of the desiderata underfoot. In pursuit of an obsession, one learns to be relentless, reckless and quite shameless.

Manhole covers for the Copenhagen Department of Utilities are designed by specially commissioned graphic artists and designers. Most of them are themed to match the ethos of the locality where they are laid. For instance, the covers in the Hans Christian Andersen Boulevard, opposite Tivoli Gardens, feature the beloved author’s face in profile and the silhouette of one of his immortal characters, The Tin Soldier. Another character, The Chimneysweep, is seen over the drains around Rosenberg Castle.

Hans Christian Andersen and the Tin Soldier

Going in circles?

To the popular brainteaser query, why are manhole covers circular? I can now say that a circular shape adds greatly to the aesthetic appeal of cameo art. You cannot pack a cast-iron roundel in your backpack as a souvenir to bring home.

But you can buy T-shirts, tote bags, coasters, and fridge magnets adorned with prints of manhole cover designs and wear your heart on your sleeve proudly.

Drain cover aficionados shrink away from nothing.