Only €130,000 of the €600,000 goal was raised. The fundraising campaign ends on April 30.
Monument to Strangers and Refugees, Olu Oguibe, 2017. Source: ART iT
The campaign to buy the obelisk created by Nigerian-American artist Olu Oguibe for Documenta 14 festival is coming to an end, but even one third of the target amount hasn’t been raised. The artist hinted he was ready to sell his artwork cheaper than it was earlier announced, Monopol magazine reports.
The 18-metre obelisk dedicated to refugees provoked controversy in Kassel due to its high price. The city launched a fundraising campaign to buy the monument. Also, the far-left AfD party speculated on the issue and promised to gather protesters in front of the obelisk after each terrorist act carried out by refugees or migrants.
The monuments reminds people in four languages that hospitality can save lives and counters the bigotry that makes people turn away refugees. The monument cites the Bible verse “I was a strange and you took me in” in German, English, Arabic and Turkish.
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