| The Freedom Sculpture | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Artist | Cecil Balmond |
| Year | July 4, 2017 |
| Medium | Stainless Steel |
| Subject | Human rights, Freedom of religion, Multiculturalism, Inclusiveness |
| Dimensions | 4.6 by 6.1 by 2.75 meters (15.1 ft × 20.0 ft × 9.0 ft) |
| Weight | 9,253 kg |
| Location | Century City, Los Angeles, California. |
| Coordinates | 34°03′47″N 118°24′56″W / 34.06305°N 118.41569°W / 34.06305; -118.41569 |
The Freedom SculptureorFreedom: A Shared Dream, is a 20,400 lb (9,300 kg) stainless steel, gold, and silver public art sculpture in Century City, Los Angeles, California, by artist and architect Cecil Balmond.[1] Balmond applied both titles to this sculpture, inspired by the 2,500 year old Cyrus Cylinder considered by some to have been an early written declaration of human rights[1]byCyrus the Great, King of ancient Iran, who was viewed as granting individual and religious freedoms to all those within his vast and culturally diverse empire.[2][3]
The sculpture was commissioned by the Farhang Foundation, and Balmond's design was selected among over 300 worldwide entries. The double-cylinder sculpture is made of two water jet-cut stainless steel double cylinders (gold interior cylinder, silver exterior cylinder), supported by two 15-foot diameter stainless steel half-rings. The sculpture sits on a travertine stone platform and includes lighting.[4]
The sculpture was officially donated to the city of Los Angeles and unveiled on July 4, 2017 with a crowd of over 75,000 attendees.[5][6][7] At the unveiling ceremony, a proclamation of support by California Governor Jerry Brown was read.[8] Also, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti sent a video message [9] and Fifth District Councilman Paul Koretz presented a certificate of appreciation to the Farhang Foundation and the Iranian-American community.[10]
The sculpture is located on Santa Monica Boulevard on a street median at Century City, Los Angeles, California.
The Freedom Sculpture generated significant support on social media, with over 1.1 million fans supporting its creation with over $2.2 million.[3] While crowd-funding played a significant role in raising money for The Freedom Sculpture, a relatively small group of people, comprising the Freedom Sculpture Founders Circle, contributed over 50% of the funds raised. [11]
