Birth of a New World

Home , A New World (Angel), Zurab Tsereteli

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A new world monument by Zurab Tsereteli

On the 14 June 2016 there will be a special preview in the presence of the artist of a remarkable new monument to Christopher Columbus, in Arecibo on the northern coast of Puerto Rico.

At 268 ft high, almost twice the height of The Statue of Liberty* and weighing 6500 tons, this modern day colossus will be an awe inspiring monument to the evolution of the Modern Americas which followed from Columbus’ expedition and an incredible feat of artistry and engineering. *Statue of Liberty without its base is 151ft.

Birth of a New World began its journey in 1992 when it was proposed as a monument to mark the 500th anniversary of Columbus’ first expedition to the Americas. Envisaged as a two-piece composition, a smaller 100ft sculpture was installed in 1992 in Seville, the Spanish port from which Columbus departed to the Americas. The journey of its companion piece was to take rather longer to reach its final destination however and has involved Presidents Gorbachev and Yeltsin, as well as George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton – all of whom championed the monument.

The sculpture, which boldly depicts Columbus standing at the helm of the Santa Maria, was assembled from 2500 pieces of bronze and steel and some 2000 sq. ft of copper sheet which have been used to sheath the three gigantic sails which soar up 184 feet from the main structure. The installation has required more than 110,000 man hours to assemble, creating a multitude of skilled and support jobs for the local community and it is anticipated, will become a magnet for tourism - as

1 have other ambitious large scale public sculptures and monuments, from the Eiffel Tower to Antony Gormley’s Angel of the North.

Birth of A New World is a privately driven initiative aimed at benefiting the local economy and creating employment in Arecibo. It is a joint venture between the artist and local entrepreneur, Jose Gonzalez Freyre.

The sculptor, Tsereteli, is one of the most important and iconic artists of post-Glasnost Russia, known throughout the region and beyond for his striking and imposing public sculptures. His numerous commissions have included the colossal sculpture of Peter the Great in Moscow, which, at 94 meters, is the eighth tallest statue in the world, and Good Defeats Evil, presented by the Soviet Union in 1990 on the occasion of the 45th anniversary of the United Nations which is installed on the front lawn of the United Nations Headquarters in New York City. Lauded for his public works, Tsereteli has served as President of The Russian Academy of Arts since 1997, whilst his many public awards and roles include that a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador and the Chevalier of the Legion of Honour (France, 2010).

Birth of a New World monument, statistics:

268 ft – total height of the sculpture Bronze base - 90ft diameter and 78 ft high Columbus figure – 94 ft high Sail structure – 184 ft high

2500 Pieces of bronze and steel manufactured in Russia 100 tons of locally fabricated steel 52000 sq. ft of bronze 2500 (lbs) of welding wire to close approx. 4 km of bronze seams 20000 sq. ft of copper sheet to sheath the sail structure 20000 stainless steel bolt sets to assemble the bronze 6500 tons with foundation 47 piles 100 ft in length, extending below the concrete base Bronze cast in three different foundries, including the oldest continuously operating foundry in the world which dates from the 18th C and the reign of Catherine the Great

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Notes to Editors:

Zurab Tsereteli Tsereteli was born in Tbilisi, Georgia in 1934 and studied at the Tbilisi State Academy of Arts before relocating to Moscow. Tsereteli is known throughout Russia and the world for his bold and monumental public sculptures which include, in the United States, his commission for the Special Olympic Games in 1979, Good Defeats Evil positioned on the north lawn of the United Nations Building, NYC and his monument to the victims of 9/11, To the Struggle Against World Terrorism, which is situated New York harbour in Bayonne, New Jersey.

His many senior roles and accolades include that of the President of the Russian Academy of Arts, and he has been named both a People’s Artist of the USSR and a People’s Artist of the Russian Federation. Internationally, he is also president of the Moscow International Foundation for Support to UNESCO, the UNESCO international chair of Fine Arts and an official UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador.

Historical notes on Christopher Columbus and Puerto Rico Between 1492 and 1503, Columbus completed four round-trip voyages between Spain and the Americas, all of them under the sponsorship of the Crown of Castile. Columbus first reached the Americas in 1492 when he landed in the Bahamas and it was during his second voyage of exploration in 1493 that Columbus reached the islands of Puerto Rico, landing only a few miles from where the Monument is erected.

These voyages constituted a considerable advance in both navigation and scientific understanding and marked the beginning of the European exploration of the American continents which are of profound historical significance, setting in train the enduring relationship between the Earth's two major landmasses and their inhabitants.