Imperial College London students protest Antony Gormley's 'Alert' statue as phallic

Students at Imperial College London are protesting the planned installation of Antony Gormley's sculpture 'Alert' on campus, scheduled for this summer. The six-meter-tall work, composed of stacked steel blocks, will be positioned in Dangoor Plaza. Gormley describes the piece as converting anatomy into architectural construction to reassess the relationship between body and space, with a posture that is alive, alert, and awake. However, students argue in a union motion that the sculpture's form suggests a man with an erect penis, making its phallic interpretation inappropriate for public display given its size. They contend that regardless of artistic intent, many perceive it as phallic, and this preoccupation with genitalia is unsuitable for a grand public installation.