The bust of George Floyd is a sculpture of George Floyd (1973–2020), an African-American man who was murdered by a police officer during his arrest in Minneapolis. Initially situated in the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, it is currently displayed in Union Square, Manhattan.[1][2]
Bust of George Floyd | |
---|---|
Artist | Chris Carnabuci |
Year | 2021 |
Medium | Wood |
Subject | George Floyd |
Dimensions | 1.8 m (6 ft) |
Location | Manhattan, New York, U.S. |
40°38′00″N 73°56′52″W / 40.6333°N 73.9479°W |
The sculpture sits on a marble base, with the 6-foot (1.8 m) bust being made of layers of CNC-cut okoumé plywood.[3] It was created by artist Chris Carnabuci and unveiled by Floyd's brother Terrence, as part of the 2021 Juneteenth federal holiday, saying "My brother was the sacrifice, so I need y'all to continue to pay attention and keep my big brother's name ringing in the ears of everyone."[1] It was moved to Manhattan on 1 October 2021 and displayed next to busts of Breonna Taylor and John Lewis. Each bust is part of the See in Justice public art exhibition.[4]
The sculpture was vandalized days after it was unveiled with "PATRIOTFRONT.US", the website of Patriot Front, spray painted on the base of the sculpture.[2][5] According to the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), Patriot Front is a white nationalist hate group.[2] On June 25, 2021, the New York City Police Department (NYPD) stated that they were investigating the incident as a hate crime.[2][6]
Two days after it was moved to Union Square, the bust was vandalized with grey paint.[7][4]