The Monument to Woody Allen (Spanish: Monumento a Woody Allen) is a life-size bronze sculpture of the American actor, writer and director Woody Allen, situated in the Spanish city of Oviedo.
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Background and description
editThe statue was designed by Vicente Santarúa and installed in 2003 by mayor Gabino de Lorenzo. El País remarked that "It looks like he is walking with a sad face and his mind somewhere else, not in Oviedo right now, although if you put yourself to his side and start a conversation with him it is so realistic that it looks as if he would answer you". Allen had travelled to the city in 2002 to accept a Prince of Asturias Award.[1] His 2008 film Vicky Cristina Barcelona was partially set there.[2]
In front of the statue there is a plaque with Allen's description of Oviedo, reading in Spanish "Oviedo is a delicious city, exotic, beautiful, clean, pleasant, calm and pedestrianised, like it does not belong to this world, as if it didn't exist... Oviedo is like a fairy tale".[3]
Oviedo has been noted for its statues, with the city containing over a hundred outdoor sculptures.[4][5][6][7]
Vandalism and controversy
editIn its first year on public display, the statue was vandalised twice, including the glasses being broken in December 2003.[8] The city council said in 2008 that regular occurrences of vandalism meant that the glasses would only be repaired once a year.[9] Returning to the city in December 2005, Allen joked that he would speak to the mayor about the vandalism.[10]
In January 2018, the Asturias Feminist Organisation called for the statue to be removed, owing to the allegations of sexual abuse against its subject.[2] In his 2020 autobiography Apropos of Nothing, Allen remarked that a "hate-driven mob" might pull down the statue.
Gallery
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Plaque, with Allen's description of Oviedo -
Detail of face, 2005. Note the partial destruction of the subject's glasses
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References
edit- ^ Granda, Fernando (1 May 2003). "Woody Allen ya 'camina' por Oviedo" [Woody Allen now 'walking' around Oviedo]. El País. Archived from the original on 12 March 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
- ^ a b Erickson, Amanda (22 January 2008). "'An abuser and pervert': Women in Spain want a statue of Woody Allen removed". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 26 December 2021. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
- ^ Vega, David (17 December 2015). "Oviedo: descubre la ciudad a través de un recorrido por sus estatuas más conocidas" [Oviedo: discover the city through a trail around its best-known sculptures]. El Confidencial (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 12 March 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
- ^ "La memoria de las estatuas de bronce: las partes que más gusta tocar" [The memory of bronze statues: the best parts to touch]. La Voz de Asturias (in Spanish). 25 December 2019. Archived from the original on 25 December 2019. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
- ^ Arce, A. (21 September 2021). "La Ruta de los Vinos regala una escultura de Urrusti a la ciudad". El Comercio (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 6 October 2021. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
- ^ Elies, Miriam (7 October 2017). "Qué ver en Oviedo en 3 días" [What to see in three days in Oviedo]. La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 12 March 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
- ^ "Conocer a fondo la "bella, limpia y tranquila" Oviedo en 48 horas" [Get to know "beautiful, clean and calm" Oviedo in 48 hours]. 20 minutos (in Spanish). 29 August 2012. Archived from the original on 12 March 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
- ^ "Le rompen las gafas a Woody Allen" [Woody Allen's glasses broken]. El País (in Spanish). 8 December 2003. Archived from the original on 12 March 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
- ^ Alonso, Irene (25 January 2008). "A la escultura de Woody Allen le cambian las gafas una vez al año" [Woody Allen sculpture has its glasses changed once a year]. 20 minutos (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 12 March 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
- ^ "Woody Allen tropieza consigo mismo en Oviedo" [Woody Allen bumps into his very self in Oviedo]. ABC (in Spanish). 27 December 2005. Archived from the original on 20 March 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2022.