A group of anonymous artists created a perfectly-sculpted, four-feet-tall bust of Edward Snowden and placed it on top of Prison Ship Martyrs’ Monument in Brooklyn Sunday night.
New York blog Animal interviewed the artists, who meticulously created the 100-pound bust to blend in with other monuments in the park, measuring the width and recreating the bronze finish. According to the blog, “over a dozen people walking their dogs passed by the new bust on Monday morning without noticing the unsanctioned piece.”
“We chose to picture Snowden through the medium of a bust because that is one of the visual pieces that society uses as a guidepost to who a hero is,” said one artist, who spoke anonymously with a voice distortion.
The monument to which they attached Snowden is designed to honor Revolutionary War heroes. In a statement, they wrote, “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.”
Animal’s video shows the artists—with faces blurred—producing the statue and sneaking it into place at night.
New York park officials have since torn the bust down:
Watch the creation and installment of the bust below:
