Called a hero, a whistleblower, and/or a traitor, Edward Snowden has become a pop culture icon in his own right.
In 2013 Snowden released classified NSA documents to the press that he gathered from his time as a contractor at Dell and Booz Allen Hamilton, and has since been on the run from the U.S. government while seeking asylum in Russia. The information leaked shined a spotlight on the large-scale surveillance program that spied on U.S. citizens, residents, and persons abroad. No substantial action was taken against the NSA, while Snowden faces up to 30 years in prison.
While the majority of New Yorkers slept early Monday morning, a trio of artists attached a sculpture of Snowden to an existing war memorial in Ft. Greene, while being documented by ANIMAL (under the agreement that their identities remain anonymous).
In an excerpt from the ANIMAL interview, the artists explain the movement:
“The artists said they’re dismayed that despite the trove of damning evidence the leaks exposed, the public has largely moved on from the story and no substantial actions have been taken against the NSA. There’s a media landscape that has painted him as a criminal, said one of the two New York artists. You need something theatrical and large to counterbalance the Fox News-iness of the texture of the conversation out there.”
What do you think of the statue and the cause, NYC?
