A recent decision by a Cambridge council has sparked considerable attention and controversy surrounding a statue of the late Prince Philip. Erected without official permission, this faceless representation of the Duke of Edinburgh has been a subject of debate since its installation. Positioned outside a Cambridge office block, the 13-foot (4 meters) sculpture depicts Prince Philip in academic robes but features an abstracted face, diverging significantly from traditional statues.
Cambridge city council's public art officer, Nadine Black, has notably criticized the monument, labeling it as "possibly the poorest quality work that has ever been submitted to the council." Black's critique extends beyond the statue's aesthetic, highlighting its lack of site specificity, its disproportionate scale, and its potential to detract from the surrounding area's development quality.
The sculpture, known colloquially as "The Don," was intended to honor Prince Philip's 35-year tenure as chancellor of Cambridge University. Despite its significant price tag of £150,000, the statue failed to win over critics and the general public alike. Compounding the issue is the ambiguity surrounding its creator; although the Unex Group, the commissioning party, attributes the work to Uruguayan sculptor Pablo Atchugarry, the artist himself has refuted this claim.
The statue's journey has been fraught with regulatory challenges. In 2014, it was denied planning permission, yet it was installed approximately four years ago without the requisite approvals. The city council has since issued an enforcement notice to the Unex Group, demanding the statue's removal by August to address its "harmful material impact" on the locale.
This situation has elicited strong opinions from local officials, including executive councillor for planning Katie Thornburrow. She expressed relief over the statue's impending removal but frustration over the circumstances leading to this point, criticizing the unilateral action taken by the developers and the consequent burden on the council to rectify the situation. Thornburrow's remarks reflect a broader dissatisfaction with the process and a desire for more responsible and considerate urban development practices.
Jean Dubreil