- African Renaissance Monument
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African Renaissance Monument 
The monument in April 2010Location Ouakam suburb, Dakar, Senegal Designer Pierre Goudiaby Type statue Material bronze Height 49 m (160ft) Beginning date 2006 Completion date 2010 Opening date April 4, 2010 Coordinates 14.72209444 ; -17.49498056 Website: http://www.monuraf.com/ The African Renaissance Monument (French: Le Monument de la Renaissance africaine) is a 49m tall bronze statue located on top one of the twin hills known as Collines des Mamelles, outside of Dakar, Senegal. Built overlooking the Atlantic Ocean in the Ouakam suburb, the statue was designed by the Senegalese architect Pierre Goudiaby after an idea presented by president Abdoulaye Wade and built by a company from North Korea.[1] Site preparation on top of the 100-meter high hill began in 2006, and construction of the bronze statue began 3 April 2008.[2] Originally scheduled for completion in December 2009, delays stretched into early 2010, and the formal dedication occurred on 4 April 2010, Senegal's "National Day", commemorating the 50th anniversary of the country's independence from France.[3] It is the tallest statue in the world outside Asia and the former Soviet Union.
Contents
Construction
The monument is made of 3-centimetre thick copper sheets and depicts a family group emerging from a mountaintop: a full-length statue of a young woman, a man, and held aloft on the man's raised left arm, a child resolutely pointing west towards the sea. Construction of the bronze statue group was carried out by the North Korean firm Mansudae Overseas Project Group of Companies.[4]
The project was launched by the Senegalese president Abdoulaye Wade who considers it part of Senegal's prestige projects, aimed at providing monuments to herald a new era of African Renaissance.
Unveiling
On 3 April 2010, the African Renaissance Monument was unveiled in Dakar in front of 19 African heads of state, including President of Malawi and the African Union Bingu wa Mutharika, Jean Ping of the African Union Commission and the Presidents of Benin, Cape Verde, Republic of Congo, Ivory Coast, Gambia, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania and Zimbabwe, as well as representatives from North Korea, and Jesse Jackson and musician Akon, both from the United States.[5] Everyone was given a tour.[5][6]
President Wade said "It brings to life our common destiny. Africa has arrived in the 21st century standing tall and more ready than ever to take its destiny into its hands".[7] President Bingu said "This monument does not belong to Senegal. It belongs to the African people wherever we are".[8] Reverend Jackson said "This renaissance statue is a powerful idea from a powerful mind. This is dedicated to the journey of our ancestors, enslaved but not slaves".[8]
Thousands of people protested against "all the failures of [President] Wade's regime, the least of which is this horrible statue" on the city's streets beforehand, with riot police deployed to maintain control.[5] Deputy leader of the opposition Ndeye Fatou Toure described the monument as an "economic monster and a financial scandal in the context of the current [economic] crisis".[5]
Criticism
Expense
The colossal statue has been criticized for its cost at US$ 27 million (£16.6m).[1] The payment was made in kind, with 30 to 40 hectares of land that will be sponsored by a Senegalese businessman.[9]
Style
Senegalese opposition leaders have also questioned the style of the project, labelling it "Stalinist", while others say that the body shapes are not African.[1] Local imams argue that a statue depicting a human figure is idolatrous, and object to the perceived immodesty of the semi-nude male and female figures.[10]
In December 2009, president Abdoulaye Wade apologised to Senegal's Christian minority for comparing the statue to Jesus Christ.[1]
Revenue
The project has also attracted controversy due to Wade's claim to the intellectual property rights of the statue, and insisting that he is entitled to 35 percent of the profits raised.[10] Opposition figures have sharply criticised Wade's plan to claim intellectual property rights, insisting that the president cannot claim copyright over ideas conceived as function of his public office.[11][12]
Those familiar with the inner workings of the monument note that the observation room located at the top of the man's head will accommodate only 15 tourists at a time, and the elevator carrying them to the top can hold only 5 or 6 persons. The only windows are in the observation room, and the interior must be air conditioned at considerable expense.[citation needed]
Local artists
Ousmane Sow, a world-renowned Senegalese sculptor, also objected to the use of North Korean builders, saying it was anything but a symbol of African renaissance and nothing to do with art.[13]
Gallery of images
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View of the planned statue.
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The monument during its construction (August 2009)
See also
References
- ^ a b c d BBC News - Senegal President Wade apologises for Christ comments
- ^ Reuters, 4 April 2008, Senegal plans African Renaissance Monument; http://www.polity.org.za/article/senegal-plans-quotafrican-renaissancequot-monument-2008-04-04
- ^ Senegal inaugurates controversial $27m monument; http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8601382.stm
- ^ « Sénégal : report de l'inauguration du monument de la Renaissance africaine », dépêche AFP mise en ligne par Le Monde, 13 novembre 2009
- ^ a b c d "Senegal inaugurates controversial $27m monument". BBC. 3 April 2010. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8601382.stm. Retrieved 7 April 2010.
- ^ "Senegal unveils statue amid protest". Al Jazeera. 3 April 2010. http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2010/04/201043101020481723.html. Retrieved 7 April 2010.
- ^ Walker, Peter (4 April 2010). "Senegalese president unveils £17m African Renaissance statue". London: The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/apr/04/senegal-african-renaissance-statue. Retrieved 7 April 2010.
- ^ a b "Senegal unveils colossal statue amid criticism". CNN. 3 April 2010. http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/africa/04/03/senegal.statue/?hpt=T2. Retrieved 7 April 2010.
- ^ Confidences de Serigne Mamadou Bousso Lèye, ministre sénégalais de la Culture et de la Francophonie », Jeune Afrique, no 2551, du 29 novembre au 5 décembre 2009, p. 41.
- ^ a b BBC News - Senegal imams use prayers to condemn giant statue
- ^ «Senegal colossus proves sore point», from BBC News, 16 novembre 2009
- ^ «Senegal President Wade apologises for Christ comments», from BBC News, 31 December 2009
- ^ A monumental folly in Senegal The Independent. Retrieved 9 January 2010.
Coordinates: 14°43′20″N 17°29′42″W / 14.72209444°N 17.49498056°W
Categories:- National monuments and memorials
- Buildings and structures in Dakar
- Buildings and structures completed in 2010
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