VIDEO: ‘Obscene’ sculpture attacked in Turkey’s İzmir

İZMİR – Doğan News Agency

DHA photo

A wooden sculpture on display in the İzmirspor metro station in Turkey’s western province of İzmir was on May 26 attacked and broken by a local man who complained that it was “obscene.” 

The İzmir Subway Administration issued a statement on the attack targeting the sculpture with the title “This mind in this age.” 

It said the suspect, identified only as Serdar K., entered the İzmirspor station at 4.50 p.m. like a passenger and approached the sculpture. 

“He first toppled the pedestal of the sculpture and then broke it into pieces,” the statement added. 





Seized by security officials in the station, Serdar K. was taken into custody and released after giving his testimony. 

The sculpture of a musician had been on display in İzmir subway’s İzmirspor station for four years, and had been subjected to a number of demonstrations. 

The İzmir Subway Administration statement said it had been the subject of “provocative actions” by members of the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) Karabağlar District Organization.

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

The sculpture was made within the scope of the International Sculpture Competition with the theme “Mediterranean” in 2012. 

The event was initiated by the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality and featured a number of wooden sculptures produced by local and foreign artists in different sizes. 

“Twelve works, which had ranked in the competition, were displayed at various points of the city such as Kültğrpark, İnciraltı and the Historic Gas Factory for many months, before they were finally placed in various stations of the İzmir Subway. One of these 12 works, Spanish artist Almacino Gonzales Andres’ mythological sculpture ‘Musician,’ had been on display there for more than four years, accompanied by an informative panel,” the İzmir Subway Administration stated. 

Officials have filed a legal complaint against the attacker and initiated a damage assessment and restoration process for the sculpture.