Defaced sculpture in İzmir replaced

The wooden sculpture had been on display at the city’s İzmirspor metro station but on May 26 it was attacked and broken by a local man who complained it was “obscene.”

According to a statement made by the İzmir Municipality, the statue, titled “Musician,” was partially repaired by sculptor Tonguç Serkan.

The statue was made within the scope of the International Sculpture Competition with the theme “Mediterranean” in 2012. It was replaced again during an event attended by 15 local and foreign sculptors who had come to the city for the 3rd International Sculpture Workshop. 

On a screen placed in the workshop area, photos and video footage of the attack and the statue’s condition before and after the attack were shown. 

Serkan said the statue was public property and part of a common culture, so everyone had a responsibility to protect it. 

Sculptor Ekin Erman said that statues had been facing attacks for many years, adding, “The minds that attacked this statue say nothing about femicides which have been increasing recently and harassment against children, but [they] attack artworks. They will destroy again but we will continue reproducing.” 
It was also reported that the sculptor of the statue, Spanish artist Amancino Gonzales, would come to İzmir in September to finish the restoration of the statue. 

Before the attack, the statue had been on display at the İzmirspor station for four years. 

The attack has been widely condemned by Turkish social media users, with the hashtag “heykel yerine dikilecek” (the sculpture will be re-erected) trending.