A New York sculptor is furious after spending $100,000 of his own money to create a lifesize statue of Charlie Kirk, the deceased far-right activist, only to find that no one wants to purchase it. Sergio Furnari, originally from Italy, had hoped the sculpture would raise "millions" of dollars, but instead, he has received messages from people threatening to urinate on it.
Statue intended for Times Square
Furnari plans to display the statue in Times Square on the anniversary of Kirk's death, September 10. However, the project has been plagued by setbacks, including a broken foot Furnari sustained after tripping over a roll of tape in his studio while working on the statue. "Is it cursed? Maybe. I don't know," he told the Guardian.
Kirk's controversial legacy
Kirk, who founded Turning Point USA, was shot dead in September last year. He was known for racist and bigoted remarks, such as claiming that "prowling Blacks go around for fun to go target white people" and speculating about Black pilots. Despite this, he became a celebrated figure in MAGA circles. In New York City, a diverse and Democratic stronghold, Kirk is far less popular.
Sculptor's mixed motives
Furnari said he did not agree with Kirk on "certain issues," including Kirk's stance on Palestine. "I wasn't a fan of Charlie," he said. "Like one thing that I couldn't stand about him while he was alive [was] when he was talking about Palestine. [Kirk would say]: 'Oh no, Palestine doesn't exist.' I thought: 'Well, this guy must be out of his mind.'"
Instead, Furnari claimed he made the statue to "glorify and to exercise the first amendment, this freedom of speech." At times, he also said he made it to support Kirk's wife, to "glorify democracy," and to "commemorate a person." He compared his work to Michelangelo's Pietà or Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, saying, "Why? Just to commemorate a moment, you know, a person."
Financial woes
Despite no commission, Furnari hoped wealthy figures would donate to him. He spent $100,000 on steel, resin, and labor, but no donations materialized. He set up an online fundraising campaign seeking $150,000, potentially millions, to take the statue on tour. As of Thursday, he had raised only $1,400. "I was thinking that it was going to resonate with the world, with whoever, but man, people are strange out there," he said. "Nobody is really coming up with support, especially financial support."
Cursed or blessed?
Despite his broken foot and empty wallet, Furnari insisted, "The statue is not cursed. The statue is blessed." However, he expressed anger at the lack of support: "Things financially are a total, absolute nightmare. It's like wow. People are cheap, man. You know, people talk, talk – I know lots of people out there, and everybody's so cheap. You know, like, it's disgusting how cheap they are."
Furnari's latest plan is to place the statue in Times Square on September 10, the anniversary of Kirk's death, hoping to drum up interest and recoup costs. Until then, he is left with a 6ft 4in statue of a renowned racist, which no one wants to buy. Maybe it is cursed after all.
