The Jackson statue in Letná is being rejected by artists and an internet initiative

Prague - The first critical voices are beginning to be heard against the planned statue of Michael Jackson, which is set to stand in Prague's Letná. The Prague Gallery Dvorak Sec Contemporary proposes to replace the memorial commemorating Jackson's concert from 1996 with some works by the most famous Czech artists. Hundreds of opponents have also joined an initiative called I DO NOT WANT Michael Jackson's Statue in Letná!!!, founded by users of the social networking site Facebook.
The Prague Gallery Dvorak has suggested building some works by artists David Černý, Jiří David, Kurt Gebauer, and Aleš Veselý in the park instead of the "King of Pop" statue. "Czech modern history has more significant moments that a statue could commemorate than a concert by a pop star," the gallery's press release quotes gallery owner Olga Dvořáková. According to her, larger significance was held by, for example, the mass demonstrations in November 1989 or the mass by Pope John Paul II during his first visit to the Czech Republic.
The gallery reportedly has a list of 50 sculptures by the best Czech artists. Due to the imminent date for raising Jackson's memorial, they selected names of four artists and their completed works, which the authors are willing to lend for free for permanent installation in Letná.
"For me, it is unacceptable that quality works are not allowed into Prague for some strange reasons, while something unrelated to art is accepted into Prague without any problem and to such a prominent place," said one of the four selected artists, Jiří David, to ČTK today.
He is also bothered by the quick approval of the memorial's construction, which was backed by Mayor Pavel Bém. The process of official approval is, according to David, very complicated and lengthy, even for cases concerning only the temporary placement of sculptures.
"I don’t care if Michael Jackson is there; I’m more astonished by the fact that any reasonable ideas that have come up over the years have mostly been swept aside, and now suddenly Michael Jackson is going to be erected there," said artist David Černý to ČTK. If the singer's statue is indeed erected in Letná, he sarcastically added, there should also be statues of Helena Vondráčková, Karel Gott, or Waldemar Matuška there.
Against the idea of commemorating Jackson in Letná Park are also the authors of the initiative I DO NOT WANT Michael Jackson's Statue in Letná!!!, to which several hundred people joined on Facebook since Thursday. According to them, Letná is a public space intended for all Prague residents and not just for the singer's admirers. "This is an event of a narrow group of fans, whom I do not deny the right to erect a statue of Jackson somewhere on private land, but not in such a place. It seems to me like a crazy precedent that the mayor, who backed it, is giving public space to a special interest group of Jackson's fans," said the founder of the page Dominik Bouma to ČTK.
He believes that other historical moments associated with Letná deserve remembrance rather than Jackson's concert. "Compared to the events of November 1989, the significance of this concert is absolutely marginal and almost laughable in relation to the culture of the Czech Republic," Bouma stated. Members of the initiative he founded are reportedly considering further protests. "They could take the form of gatherings, petitions, or obtaining statements from culturally and publicly active individuals," Bouma added. One of their goals is also to examine the authorities' decisions that granted the permits for the construction of the memorial.
A two-meter column with a bust of Michael Jackson is expected to appear in Letná Park by August 29 at the latest, which is the day of Jackson's birthday. It is to be erected near the site where a huge Stalin monument once towered over Prague in the 1950s, now replaced by a metronome. It is meant to commemorate the Prague concert from 1996, during which the American singer launched his last world tour HIStory in Letná. The upper part of the memorial, made from resin with a surface finish that imitates bronze, will feature a bronze bust of the singer, and the lower part, approximately 120 centimeters tall, will be adorned with reliefs depicting significant moments from Jackson's life. The funds for constructing the column will come from a public fundraising campaign.
Jackson, who died a year ago, sold over 750 million albums and is one of the most successful musicians in history. His album Thriller from 1982 is the best-selling album of all time. He died on June 25 last year at the age of fifty from a drug overdose. His death shocked the world and sparked a wave of interest in his music.