Sunday, June 07, 2009

"Gold is a treasure, and he who possesses it does all he wishes to in this world, and succeeds in helping souls into paradise.” - Christopher Columbus


The Inflatable Head of Columbus«, 2006 parodies a failed Christopher Columbus monument in Puerto Rico. The statue, designed by Russian artist Zurab Tsereteli, was rejected by several U.S. cities before arriving in Cataño, Puerto Rico, costing the towns millions of dollars in shipping alone. However, finances collapsed, the Mayor of Cataño (Edwin “el Amolao” Sierra) resigned for psychological reasons and the controversial project was never erected. Today, Columbus lies fragmented in thousands of pieces of bronze, deteriorating in an outdoor lot next to the Bacardi Factory in Cataño. The only recognizable feature of the statue had been the giant Head. To commemorate the 500-year anniversary of the Death of Christopher Columbus (May 20, 2006), Miguel Luciano installed an inflatable replica in the Plaza Colón (Columbus Plaza) of Old San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The Inflatable Head of Colombus | Miguel Luciano

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