Statue of Medusa With the Head of Perseus Will Be Displayed Outside NYC Criminal Court to Shame Sexual Abusers, Here’s Why the Greek Myth Stands So Significant in the #MeToo Era (View Pic)
A seven-foot-tall bronze statue of Medusa with the Head of Perseus will be on display across the street, outside New York County Criminal Court—the location of high profile abuse cases including the Harvey Weinstein trial.
The #MeToo movement is one of the most powerful feminist movements in the 21st century. A social movement against sexual abuse and sexual harassment, it finally publicised allegations of sex crimes committed by Statue of Medusa With the Head of Perseus Will Be Displayed Outside NYC Criminal Court to Shame Sexual Abusers, Here’s Why the Greek Myth Stands So Significant in the #MeToo Era (View Pic)powerful and prominent men. The movement saw the fall of the disgraced Hollywood film producer Harvey Weinstein, who has been sentenced to 23 years in prison for rape and sexual assault. To honour #MeToo, a seven-foot-tall bronze statue of Medusa with the Head of Perseus will be on display across the street, outside New York County Criminal Court—the location of high profile abuse cases including the Harvey Weinstein trial. As the announcement was made, social media users quickly became embroiled in a heated debate involving everything from #MeToo to the interpretations of Greek mythology.
What is the Story of Medusa?
The original Greek mythology of Medusa offers plenty to be angry about. Medusa, also called Gorgo, was one of the three monstrous Gorgons, generally described as winged human females with living venomous snakes in place of hair. But she was not always a monstrous beast. According to Greek mythology, she turned into what she is popularly known for after Poseidon stalked and raped her in Athena’s temple. Athena refused to punish Poseidon for his attack and instead blamed and punished Medusa for the crime of which she was the victim.
It is said that Athena transformed Medusa into a vicious monster with snakes for hair and exiled her. Medusa was later hunted down and killed by Perseus, who afterwards used her still potent head as a weapon, before gifting it to Athena.
View Pic of Medusa With The Head of Perseus Statue:
The Medusa With the Head of Perseus sculpture is reimagined and created by Argentine-Italian artist Luciano Garbati. The statue pictured Medusa Gorgo holding a sword and the head of Perseus—the man who killed her. It is a reversed version of a more famous statue—Perseus with the Head of Medusa, sculpted in the 16th century by Benvenuto Cellini and exhibited in Florence, Italy. Garbati’s piece of art has gone viral across social media, and it is the story of Medusa and the artist’s re-imagination that stands as the perfect avatar for a moment of female rage in the #MeToo era. From #MeToo to #TimesUp, Times When Ladies Started Social Media Revolution With These Powerful Feminist Hashtags Globally.
The seven-foot-tall bronze sculpture of Medusa With the Head of Persues will be installed on October 13, 2020, noting that it denounces victim-blaming and thus echoing the #MeToo movement. The statue will reportedly be on view in Collect Pond Park, located on Centre St, Lower Manhattan, as part of NYC Parks’ Art in the Parks program from October 13, 2020 – April 30, 2021.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 10, 2020 05:26 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).