Michael Rakowitz‘s new sculpture The Invisible Enemy Should Not Stand currently sits on the fourth plinth in London’s Trafalgar Square. It is a replica of an Assyrian sculpture which was destroyed by Daesh in the Mosul Museum in 2015.
The original sculpture was a protective god which stood at the main entrance to Nineveh, capital city of the Assyrian Empire.
The replica is made out of over 10,000 cans of Iraqi date syrup. It is not meant to be an exact replica. Michael calls is a “ghost of the original”. Date syrup was once one of Iraq’s major industries.
The sculpture neatly combines the modern and the ancient. Ancient art and history have become a battleground in the current situation in the Middle East, but we must not forget the humanitarian issues.
The Invisible Enemy Should Not Stand is a powerful piece of public art which brings a bit of beauty to central London but also reminds us all of our roles in this world.
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Latest Trafalgar Square Fourth Plinth artwork unveiled – BBC News – http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-43565870
Michael Rakowitz unveils Trafalgar Square Fourth Plinth sculpture – Jewish News – http://jewishnews.timesofisrael.com/jewish-artist-michael-rakowitz-unveils-trafalgar-square-fourth-plinth-sculpture/
Winged bull made of syrup cans unveiled on fourth plinth – The Guardian – https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2018/mar/28/winged-bull-syrup-cans-unveiled-fourth-plinth-trafalgar-square
Fourth Plinth: Recreation of ancient winged bull statue destroyed by [Daesh] takes pride of place in Trafalgar Square – Independent – https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/features/fourth-plinth-new-exhibit-trafalgar-square-london-bull-statue-isis-iraq-michael-rakowitz-invisible-a8275291.html
Rhakotis 