Cecil Balmond's Freedom Sculpture Unveiled in Los Angeles

In a divided America amid Donald Trump's anti-immigration policies, the art world sends a message of unity. The Freedom Sculpture, a monument by Sri Lankan architect and designer Cecil Balmond (born 1943), was inaugurated with a celebration featuring Persian pop music, Middle Eastern food, and fireworks. The project, initiated in 2014 by the Farhang Foundation, aims to bring a work echoing the Statue of Liberty to the West Coast. Balmond drew inspiration from the Cyrus Cylinder, a 6th-century BCE clay block inscribed with cuneiform script that records the Persian king's conquest of Babylon and his policy of tolerance. Neil MacGregor, director of the British Museum, considers it the first known attempt at managing a state with diverse nationalities and religions. Balmond views it as an early 'human rights charter.' The sculpture consists of a golden metal cylinder inside a larger silver one, both stainless steel, joined by steel elements. By day, the steel shines in sunlight; by night, it is illuminated by LED lights. The bicolor pattern evokes ancient Persian cuneiform script from a distance. Located on Santa Monica Boulevard at Century Park East, the work materializes the ancient message of equality on a busy Los Angeles artery.