Anish Kapoor declares victory over the National Rifle Association

One of British sculpture’s most influential figures, Anish Kapoor, has declared victory over the National Rifle Association (NRA) after the firearm rights advocate group used an image of his work in a recent promotional video.

Anish Kapoor has released a statement this morning after the NRA agreed to remove the image of his sculpture Cloud Gate from a video he claims “seeks to promote fear, hostility and division in American society.”

In the statement, the sculptor says: “This is a victory not just in defence of the copyright of my work, but it is also a declaration that we stand with those who oppose gun violence in America and elsewhere.”

The public sculpture, which has resided in Chicago’s Millennium Park since 2004, was a visual component of The Violence of Lies a promotional film which called for the “clenched fist of truth.” Anish Kapoor says, “We in our turn call for the clenched fist of resistance, solidarity and humanity.”

Anish has invited the NRA to do “the honourable thing,” by donating $1 million to charities concerned with the victims of gun violence across America.

The artist’s legal action against the NRA began in June 2018.