Senegal's African Renaissance Monument: New Wonder of the World, or New Boondoggle?

[nc-1701]

I really like it, apparently my artistic tastes are very different from those of many others but style wise I really like it. Also I don't think there's anything wrong with some low level of monument building by poorer countries as it helps reinforce their culture and national identity. Think about it this way, the statue isn't a likeness of Senegal's ruler... That already puts them above most poorer statue building countries.

 

[Yared]

@RRW:

The guy would have to be 2.2 meters since the kid looks to be 5-6 years old. And GOD his head is huge

 

[Patroklos]

Its too cartoon like.

 

[red_elk]

Note one major difference. In the Soviet one the man and the woman are standing on the same level. In the Senegalese one the man is holding the woman who is behind him.

There are similarities though.
Both pairs show what they are mostly going to produce in next ~50 years.

 

[Yeekim]

There are similarities though.
Both pairs show what they are mostly going to produce in next ~50 years.

 

[GinandTonic]

@RRW:

The guy would have to be 2.2 meters since the kid looks to be 5-6 years old. And GOD his head is huge

I see the kid as more like three ish. It makes the whole family roughly proportional, if slightly exaggerated.

 

[Lillefix]

I see on wikipedia and the bbc that the president want 35%(!) of the tourist income from the statue, because he "helped" design it. Way to go Senegal

And it's built by North koreans...

 

[MeteorPunch]

I guess it's "sexist," but I like it. I think Atlanta or New Orleans should probably make a mini version much like nations have mini/replicas of other famous statues, like the Statue of Liberty. It fits with the message prominent black leaders in America preach of the black man being strong, taking responsibility, and staying with his woman and child.

 

[luiz]

Well yeah, but it's a much bigger number than $17m.

That is (very) roughly 0.16% of their GDP, which is quite a big sum to spend on stuff like that. For comparisson, it would be like the US spending 22.5 billion dollars on a statue. Not very rational IMO.

 

[TheLastOne36]

Well, I must admit that the one statue is better than hundreds of thousands of Simon Bolivar statues here in Venezuela.

And all those statues can probably be converted to Chavez statues too.

 

[Communisto]

its pretty damn bad ass

but still, it would make more sense if, you know, there actually was anything resembling an african renaissance.

 

[emzie]

That is (very) roughly 0.16% of their GDP, which is quite a big sum to spend on stuff like that. For comparisson, it would be like the US spending 22.5 billion dollars on a statue. Not very rational IMO.

Mt Rushmore is hardly rational nor was it cheap. Nor was it built at a time where extravagant spending on culture made any sense. Americans are quite fond of it.

I'm surprised people keep overlooking the worst part of the monument: that the President of Senegal personally claims 35% of all money the statue earns from tourists. I don't mean the office of the presidency, but the actual guy. And he didn't pay for it.

If I ever found myself in Dakar, I'd see the statue. Well, after I woke up and asked myself how the hell I got to Dakar and what the hell was I thinking.

 

[Leonel]

Looks like Senegal's financial troubles are over and they don't need all that foreign aid!

 

[Arwon]

That is (very) roughly 0.16% of their GDP, which is quite a big sum to spend on stuff like that. For comparisson, it would be like the US spending 22.5 billion dollars on a statue. Not very rational IMO.

GDP is an annual figure though, it took about 5 or 6 years to finish so that breaks down to a much smaller fraction.

'Tis a silly statue, but I don't think it's a particularly outrageous sum. If Senegal has average African levels of corruption, there was almost certainly more money lost from the national budget through graft last year.

 

[The Imp]

Depends, will the economic benefits to the country outweigh the economic costs?

Even if it does lead to a net gain of monies, I can't help but feel that this project was done more for the legacy and personal benefit of the President then for the nation. I mean, the President claiming 35% of tourist revenue... really?

 

[Arwon]

Yeah, that bit is hella dodgy.

 

[crabapple]

Ugly? Yes
Overly expensive ? Yes
Sexist ? Yes

EPIC FAIL

 

[ParkCungHee]

Aside from tourism, which I think would be negligable benefit, there is the possibility that this statue is a good way of saying "look at us! We are relatively better then Africa!" Which really is something that senegal has to reinforce to get foreign investment.