Bihar statue in Spain? No, it's not what you might be thinking. The current world geography has not changed. This controversy in Spain concerns a hyper-realist statue named 'Bihar' submerged in River Nervion in the city of Bilbao. With only her face visible, a girl looks out through glazed eyes at the sky, awaiting the waters to consume her.
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Created by artist Ruben Orozco and made of fibreglass, the figure appeared unannounced last week, as if out of nowhere, positively freaking locals out. According to reports, she was installed in the middle of the night, with the unsuspecting public waking up to her drowning face.
She carries the message of sustainability and a wake-up call for urgent, collective action against climate change. Orozco told local media she signifies how people's present actions can "sink us or keep us afloat."
Reception Of Bihar Statue In Spain Not Quite As Expected
The figure is part of an initiative by the BBK Foundation, a body that works towards development, primarily in the Spanish province of Biscay. 'Bihar' translates to 'tomorrow' in the Basque language of the region.
The 120 kg wide-eyed girl is placed in a way that she drowns - a symbolic indication of the human 'tomorrow' unless we move for change - when the water level increases. She works as represented below in the tweet:
Bilbao's River Nervion, this statue of a drowning girl appeared last week and it is Freaking people out. 😌
However, the statue perhaps did not have the effect on people as it intended to. "She doesn't even look worried, it's as if she is letting herself drown," one local said as quoted by Reuters. Another said that the figure looked sad and appeared like it was linked to a tragic past.
Another of BBK and Orozco's ventures a couple of years ago had prompted similar stirrings in Bilbao. Titled 'Invisible Soledad', the sculpture represented a lifelike old woman sitting solitary on a bench to highlight the plight of millions over the age of 65 in Spain living lonely lives.
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