A public art work that has been at the center of controversies at the University of Houston was vandalized in the early morning on Monday, July 8, 2024 as dangerous winds and storms spurred by Hurricane Beryl hit the area.
In January, Public Art of the University of Houston System (Public Art UHS) announced that it, in partnership with Madison Square Park Conservancy, had commissioned a multimedia work by 2006 MacArthur Fellow Shahzia Sikander. UH planned to host the temporary exhibition Havah… to breathe, air, life, which includes two works: Witness, an 18-foot golden sculpture of a female figure, and Reckoning, a video animation of warrior-like figures in a graceful struggle, from February 28 through October 31.
Shahzia Sikander, “Havah… to breathe, air, life”
Shortly before the opening, Witness came under scrutiny by Texas Right to Life, an anti-abortion nonprofit organization, which planned a protest and called for the removal of the work. The group launched an online petition and stated that the work contains “satanic imagery to honor abortion and memorialize the late Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg” and that it “honor[s] child sacrifice.” Ms. Sikander has explained that, “The artwork is an allegory of women and justice and tensions between women and power.” Days before the planned reception and artist talk, the university sent an email stating that the opening events were canceled.
In early March, UH students and faculty organized talks addressing the protests around the temporary public art piece and the postponement of the events. They raised concerns that the university’s handling of the protests set a precedent for their own work to be censored should it be deemed offensive. Following the conversations, professors Anna Mayer and Natilee Harren, along with Reynier Leyva Novo, an exhibiting artist at UH’s Blaffer Art Museum, launched a petition in support of Ms. Sikander’s work.
On March 18, the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) wrote a letter to Public Art UHS, in which it offered its resources and suggested actions the university could take to move forward in support of the artist. The following day, Public Art UHS completed the installation of Ms. Sikander’s video work, Reckoning, however, the installation (a projection across a lawn and onto a tall white wooden-structure) rendered the video unviewable during the daytime. On March 20, Public Art UHS updated its FAQ document incorporating some of the suggestions from NCAC. In the months since, there has been no news about community reactions to the sculpture, and there has been no issue up until Monday’s incident.
According to the New York Times, UH campus police have obtained footage of the beheading of Ms. Sikander’s sculpture, which is made of milled high-density foam, steel, fiberglass, and glass tile. Hyperallergic reported that the head of the sculpture is in the university’s possession.
Shahzia Sikander, “Witness” vandalized on the campus of the University of Houston. Photo Abdurrahman Danquah/New York Times.
A spokesperson for UH told Glasstire, “We were disappointed to learn the statue was damaged early Monday morning as Hurricane Beryl was hitting Houston. The damage is believed to be intentional. The University of Houston Police Department is currently investigating the matter. Conservators have also been called in to advise on the necessary repairs. We have been in contact with the artist to repair the artwork as quickly as possible.”
On July 11, a spokesperson for UH reached out to Glasstire to share an update regarding the damaged work. He stated that Ms. Sikander has requested that the sculpture be left without repairs, and that the university will respect the artist’s wishes.
Notably, this is the second recent beheading of a sculpture of a woman that was deemed offensive by conservative Christian groups. Esther Strauß’s Crowning, a sculpture depicting the Virgin Mary giving birth to Jesus, was installed at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Linz, Austria on June 27. The work immediately drew criticism from CitizenGO Germany, which contends the sculpture was created for “feminist” and “occult” reasons. The sculpture was beheaded on Monday, July 1, one week prior to the vandalization of Ms. Sikander’s Witness.
July 11, 2024: This article has been updated with new information provided to Glasstire by the University of Houston to note that the sculpture will not be repaired, per the artist’s instruction.
