nelson mandela monument by marco cianfanelli

a national monument marks nelson mandela’s capture site in natal midlands by marco cianfanelli, 2012image courtesy marco cianfanelli via jonathan burton

south african artist marco cianfanelli has constructed a monument to recognize the 50 year anniversary of peace activist and politician nelson mandela’s capture by the apartheid police in 1962. mandela’s profile spans 50 steel columns measuring 21.32 and 29.52 feet (6.5 and 9 meters) high, each anchored to the concrete-covered ground. the shape and form of the sculpture are representative of the leader’s 27 years behind bars for his efforts to bring equal rights and governmental representation to the once racially divided nation. the statue of the nobel prize winner has been erected in howick, a town located 56 miles (90 kilometers) south from the city of durban in the countryside of the southernmost african country.

the work, as seen from a distance image via visual news

cianfanelli says of his work ‘this represents the momentum gained in the struggle through the symbolic of mandela’s capture. the 50 columns represent the 50 years since his capture, but they also suggest the idea of many making the whole; of solidarity. it points to an irony as the political act of mandela’s incarceration cemented his status as an icon of struggle, which helped ferment the groundswell of resistance, solidarity and uprising, bringing about political change and democracy.‘

image courtesy marco cianfanelli via jonathan burton

image courtesy marco cianfanelli via jonathan burton

a perspective picturing the side of the installation image via visual news

left: the raw metal components laid out after cutting, before painting and installment right: building of the artwork images via visual news

a detailed perspective of the uneven edges of one of the piece’s 50 columns

image courtesy marco cianfanelli via jonathan burton

alternate perspective of the monument image by brendan copestake