Russian President Vladimir Putin's statue appears at New York Central Park, becomes target of kids' anger

Russian President Vladimir Putin's statue, which was placed in a playground in Central Park in Manhattan, New York recently, has become a target of kids' anger. A bright red statue of Putin riding on a tank had appeared in the park some time ago, and in no time, it was targeted by the kids. The children have been targetting the statue with toy guns, and have been dumping sand while others have inserted fingers in its ear.

The artwork has been sculpted by James Colomina, a French artist, who is popular for placing such red statues in unusual regions without any prior announcement. The street artist took to Instagram and wrote that the Putin sculpture looks to underline the absurdity of the war and highlight the courage of the children while facing violence and other catastrophic situations caused by others. The caption hints at Russia’s attack on Ukraine and the role of Putin in destabilising the country.

Art that speaks against injustice and intolerance
Colomina is a dental technician turned street artist, and his work, according to him, is free art. Talking to a news website, he said that it’s the right place to put such a thing, without asking for permission. It is a public and urban art that frees itself from constraints and addresses all age groups. He further stated that political involvement is a crucial part of his work, and he always tries to defend causes in the best possible ways. He also said that he reacts to injustice, consumerism and intolerance to denounce social problems.


The street artist also placed two other identical sculptures in some different parks in cities around the world. In July 2022, one such statue was set up in Barcelona's Parc de Joan Miro, and the other placed in Paris’ Jardin du Luxembourg. An onlooker was glad about such an initiative and said that it’s a nice way to express one’s opinion and demonstrate to the world that there are millions of people out there, who are not happy with what is going on in Ukraine.