These photographs were taken today at the unveiling of the living monument to Ken Saro Wiwa. It is on display outside the Guardian offices on Farringdon Road until 24 November, after which it will be on a tour of British cities for the next two years. If you are in London I would recommend you take the time to see it
Nigerian-born sculptor Sokari Douglas Camp, used the image of a rickety vehicle as it has has many resonances - as a pollutant, a carrier of supplies and information, and as a metaphor for Saro-Wiwa's activism. For me it is a superb sculpture which is a fitting tribute to a great man.
Around the bus is an inscription "I accuse the oil companies of practicing genocide afainst the Ogoni"
The artist, Sokari Douglas Camp
Ken Wiwa, son of Saro-Wiwa's sonRemember Saro-wiwa
ken SaroWiwa memorial
3 comments:
Wow! Thanks for this and the earlier post on Ken. Unfortunately events in the oil-rich Niger Delta region has escalated since he died. How peace and justice will return to the region is nobody's guess. I wonder how Ken would have reacted to the events in the region today, particularly the kidnappings...
Good post. I love the work.
Thanks for your commens Imnakoya, Ren. I glad you like it.
I would ingaine Ken Saro Wiwa would have been a vociferous campaigner for justice for the Ogonis.. One thing though: at the end of the day I would prefer that there had been no memorial at all ie no show trial, no execution and Ken Saro Wiwa still with us.
As a memorial, it is marvellous, as a work o art, Sokari Douglas Camp has created something magnificent.
Post a Comment