This strange “drowning girl” statue is a reminder on climate change

Statues are commonly placed in a certain area to remind people about an important event or to honor a person. But some installations are erected to prove that art can also ignite conversations. The so-called “drowning girl” statue was submerged last week in Spain’s Bilbao River Nervion, which passersby found unsettling at first.

The 254 lbs sculpture eerily shows a lifelike face of a young girl drowning in the tide. It was titled ‘Bihar’, which translates to ‘Tomorrow’ in Basque. The figure is part of a campaign by the BBK Foundation, a charitable arm of Spanish lender Kutxabank. The corporation said that it shows what could happen if people “continue to bet on unsustainable models”.

According to its creator Ruben Orozco, a Mexican hyperrealist artist, it was made to spark a debate on sustainability and climate change. He said that the goal is for people to be conscious that “their actions can sink us or keep us afloat.”

While the artist made his intention clear, other people have their own interpretations. A visitor named Triana Gil said, ‘At first it gave me a feeling of stress, when more of the face was out of the water, but now to me she communicates sadness, a lot of sadness.’

Meanwhile, Bilbao resident Maria shared, ‘Before knowing what it meant, I thought that something had happened here to a girl… I learnt today that’s not what it’s about, but I think people can each give their own meaning to it.’

Banner: Reuters/Vincent West

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Source: we the pvblic