Statue of Edward Snowden – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Coordinates: 404130N 735832W / 40.6918N 73.9756W / 40.6918; -73.9756

The statue of Edward Snowden, called by its creators Prison Ship Martyrs' Monument 2.0,[1] was an ephemeral, illegally-installed public statue of Edward Snowden, an American whistleblower who leaked classified information from the National Security Agency (NSA) and was charged with federal crimes as a result.[A] The bronze-like statue was placed in Fort Greene Park in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, New York City, on April 6, 2015. It was attached to a Doric column on the perimeter of the park's Prison Ship Martyrs' Monument,[B] a memorial and crypt which honors and inters the more than 11,500 American prisoners of war who died in the American Revolution while housed on British prison ships.[3][4][C]

Affixed atop an existing column, the statue was mounted by three anonymous artists and their helpers, who were dressed in white construction helmets and reflective vests in imitation of Parks Department workers,[6] early in the morning of April 6, then covered and taken down by NYC Parks officials later that day.[2][7] A hologram tribute to Snowden was subsequently installed after the statue was removed.[8]

The piece was conceived in 2014 by two artists from New York City and a sculptor from the West Coast. The sculptor volunteered his time and skill in creating the statue, with the piece eventually costing thousands of dollars to create over six months.[1][D] The artwork consisted of a 4-foot (1.2m) high, 100-pound (45kg) bust of Snowden on top of a Doric column, with a Plexiglas stand with Snowden's name on it.[2][9]

The piece was fused to Fort Greene Park's Prison Ship Martyrs' Monument[2] in the pre-dawn hours of April 6, 2015.[3] The sculptor recommended that the two artists create a bust after they had suggested a life-size statue of Snowden. The bust was made from Hydrocal, a plaster-like substance resembling bronze in appearance, which was then fixed to the pre-existing column with a non-damaging adhesive.[1] The piece was designed to be similar in style to other sculptures in the park.[E]

While it was very important to the artists that the piece be more than just a prop or papier-mache effigy, they also wished not to damage the surface to which the bust would be bound. After some debate, they decided on an adhesive that would firmly hold the head in place, yet could be removed without marring the monument.[1] The statue had Snowden's name at its base, consistent with the names on the bases of other sculptures in the park.[10]

The Guardian newspaper expressed the view that it also looked like the former White House press secretary Jay Carney and some people thought it looked more like him than Snowden (see image).[11][12]

Prison Ship Martyrs' Monument 2.0 is one of at least six sculptures and monuments to Snowden that have appeared around the world.[F] In October 2014, a statue of Snowden appeared in Union Square, Manhattan, near Henry Kirke Brown's Abraham Lincoln statue.[13] It was shown in conjunction with the Art in Odd Places festival and was sculpted by Jim Dessicino, a Delaware artist. One observer of that statue compared Snowden to Daniel Ellsberg, who leaked the Pentagon Papers to the New York Times.[G]

The creators of the statue, who were dubbed "guerrilla artists" by some in the media,[15][16] released a statement to the Animal New York website detailing their motivations and documenting the statue's installation[1] in exchange for anonymity.[H] In their statement, the artists said:

We have updated this monument to highlight those who sacrifice their safety in the fight against modern-day tyrannies. It would be a dishonor to those memorialized here to not laud those who protect the ideals they fought for, as Edward Snowden has by bringing the NSA's 4th-Amendment-violating surveillance programs to light. All too often, figures who strive to uphold these ideals have been cast as criminals rather than in bronze...Our goal is to bring a renewed vitality to the space and prompt even more visitors to ponder the sacrifices made for their freedoms. We hope this inspires them to reflect upon the responsibility we all bear to ensure our liberties exist long into the future."[3][18][19]

See original here:
Statue of Edward Snowden - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia