According to Greek mythology, Medusa was stalked and raped by Poseidon. But instead of Poseidon facing any consequences, Medusa was blamed for it and Athena cursed her with snake-like hair, greenish skin.
Whoever gazed at her would turn into stone. A famous sculpture ‘Perseus with the head of Medusa’, even celebrated her beheading at the hands of Perseus, son of Zeus.
However, in an attempt to change the narrative around how we perceive victims of sexual assault, a New York artist will install a 7-foot statue of Medusa holding Perseus’ head as a symbol of honouring MeToo movement and the women who took a stand.
It will even be placed at the NY County Criminal Court in Manhattan where the Harvey Weinstein trial took place. The once powerful mogul was convicted on February 24,2020 of raping an aspiring actress and sexually abusing a TV and film production assistant.
The verdict was celebrated by his dozens of accusers and the supporters as a watershed moment for the #MeToo movement.
“The place chosen is not accidental, since there they judge cases for crimes related to violence against women,” Sculptor Luciano Garbati said on Instagram. He is an Argentine- Italian artist based Buenos Aires.
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The 1000-pound bronze sculpture gives Medusa a different ending, depicting her as empowered. The statue was created in 2008. When the #MeToo movement started it took a different meaning.
Back in 2008, the sculpture grabbed the attention, as the sculpture is the perfect avatar for a moment of female rage.
