Saturday, November 08, 2003

Abbas Khan writes this in his book Din Mein Charagh

There is a statue in a square of Rotterdam downtown in Holland. This effigy has been carved out of stone.

It is a human looking up into the sky, trying to stop what is coming with his hands raised, and with a hole where his heart should be. Disproportionate, parts of the figure are not at the right places nor are seemingly fitting in the scheme of sculpture – neck is not exactly in the centre of the shoulders and is sticking out, elbows are at a little distance from arms. Similarly, legs, ankles, feet, stomach and chest all seem out of place. Seeing the sculpture from a distance gives an impression that it will wither away with the wind.

This Artwork was put on display in Rotterdam in 1951. Reflection of thoughts of sculptor Ossip Zadkine, thinkers of the city as well as the municipality, this statue was erected here after the World War II to commemorate bombing and burning down of the city.

What does it reveal? The statue reveals human inner conflict; Disorder in times of turmoil deep within.

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