O Castro's granite bear again suffers vandalism - Vigo, Pontevedra, Galicia, España
Posted by: 
Ariberna
N 42° 13.821 W 008° 43.398
29T E 522832 N 4675389
The figure appears stained with red graffiti
Waymark Code: WM14N5T
Location: Galicia, Spain
Date Posted: 07/30/2021
Views: 0
An attempt at a street artist hidden behind the pseudonym Nano has decided to make Vigo's heritage his personal canvas. To unleash his inspiration, the author chose the bear sculpture by José Luis Medina located at the top of Mount O Castro. Ignoring the historical value of the granite statue, which dates back to the 1950s, Nano imprinted his personal signature in red graphite on one side of the animal. He also wanted to add the date to combat the passage of time. He also painted circles for ears, eyes and a muzzle. La Voz has not been able to verify if this is the artist's modus operandi, if it is a mere improvisation or if these strokes are the product of boredom.
What anyone who contemplates the Medina bear can see is the deterioration it has suffered over the last few years. The animal's ears and muzzle have been victims of vandalism and subsequent restorations on various occasions. The statue was moved a few years ago when the playgrounds on Mt.
This act adds to the list of vandalism demonstrations towards the most identifying symbols of the city. The fishermen of the Gran Vía, the Sireno of the Porta do Sol, the swimmer of the Náutico, the cross of the fallen in O Castro or the horses of the Plaza de España. All of them have ever woken up with graphite graffiti. The case of the horses reached the Prosecutor's Office, which requested a fine of almost 6,000 euros from the two culprits.
The sculpture of the newspaper delivery man Manuel Castro, located on Principe Street, was left without the newspaper that he held in his right hand and that now simply points to the sky without any meaning, puzzling curious tourists.
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