Given the continuing blight of anti-Muslim prejudice and discrimination in the so-called ‘War on Terror’ I was fascinated to read your link about the statue to Patel being initiated in 2001 and it serving as a rallying point for Hindu Nationalist Modi’s rise to power. Modi and the RSS are understood by many as highly complicit in the massacre of Muslims in Gujarat in 2014 and 2020. I am also reminded of the white supremacist ‘Red-Shirt’ violent coup in NC in 1898 and the symbolic groundwork done with the erection of Confederate Statuary at the NC Capitol which was later used as a rallying point. I would create (I actually have been ‘co-creating’) a statue that is not finite but a continual work in progress that is intentionally inclusive of all, especially people of different nations and religions, and which centers the ongoing struggle of people to free ourselves from nationalism, militarism, and other violent -isms. I think Swords to Plowshares Belltower Memorial has been true to that aim, but sometimes think of beginning another project that is less human-centric and war-centric. The Belltower is fragile and responsive to the winds of nature as a kinetic sculpture, I like that deviation from the pretense of dominion over people and nature suggested by most big statues, but maybe a new kinetic sculpture could be more of a ‘tree of life’ expressing the interdependence of humans with other life forms (many of which are sadly going extinct because of human hubris.)
I was also pleased to learn by reading about the Patel statue, that Gujarat State, while they got public support for their huge Hindu Nationalist statue, apparently were forced to make many concessions to local tribal factions over central state power over nearby lands, etc..
Given the continuing blight of anti-Muslim prejudice and discrimination in the so-called ‘War on Terror’ I was fascinated to read your link about the statue to Patel being initiated in 2001 and it serving as a rallying point for Hindu Nationalist Modi’s rise to power. Modi and the RSS are understood by many as highly complicit in the massacre of Muslims in Gujarat in 2014 and 2020. I am also reminded of the white supremacist ‘Red-Shirt’ violent coup in NC in 1898 and the symbolic groundwork done with the erection of Confederate Statuary at the NC Capitol which was later used as a rallying point. I would create (I actually have been ‘co-creating’) a statue that is not finite but a continual work in progress that is intentionally inclusive of all, especially people of different nations and religions, and which centers the ongoing struggle of people to free ourselves from nationalism, militarism, and other violent -isms. I think Swords to Plowshares Belltower Memorial has been true to that aim, but sometimes think of beginning another project that is less human-centric and war-centric. The Belltower is fragile and responsive to the winds of nature as a kinetic sculpture, I like that deviation from the pretense of dominion over people and nature suggested by most big statues, but maybe a new kinetic sculpture could be more of a ‘tree of life’ expressing the interdependence of humans with other life forms (many of which are sadly going extinct because of human hubris.)
I was also pleased to learn by reading about the Patel statue, that Gujarat State, while they got public support for their huge Hindu Nationalist statue, apparently were forced to make many concessions to local tribal factions over central state power over nearby lands, etc..