Syrian sculptor Khaled Dawwa made a bold statement on the International Day of the Disappeared by destroying his giant artwork, “The King of Holes,” outside the United Nations office in Geneva. The powerful piece depicted a potentate with a massive body, symbolizing oppressive power and the tens of thousands of enforced disappearances in Syria.
Joined by relatives of disappeared Syrians, Dawwa used saws and hammers to tear down the statue in a poignant act of protest. The artist, who participated in Syria’s Arab Spring demonstrations, suffered injuries during the conflict and was jailed for two months. The artwork, filled with holes and representing the pain of families of the disappeared, was created in 2021 with the intention of later destruction.
The emotional event was attended by rights campaigners like Wafa Mustafa, who has not heard from her father since 2013. Ahmad Helmi, another participant, shared his own harrowing experience of disappearance and torture. The destruction of the statue symbolized the ongoing suffering of countless families affected by the Syrian war, prompting a call for international action and justice.
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