Three Heads Six Arms at the Peruvian Festival

It didn’t seem like it should happen so soon.  SF Station still shows Three Heads Six Arms will be in place through the end of the year.  But last week the forklift came in and dismantled our precious Three Heads Six Arms and carried him out of the Civic Center Plaza.  The crews on the scene said he’s not due back in China before the end of the year.  The Arts Commission is quoted as saying the lease is up and efforts to extend it were unsuccessful.  But there were problems with mild vandalism, and people climbing the statue like a piece of playground equipment.  Perhaps it’s best.

So much went into bringing him here for a brief stay.  Senator Dianne Feinstein had to help push Three Heads Six Arms through Customs last May.  Artist Zhang Huan’s spectacular sculpture has left our view, but not our memory.

The bronze Buddha was probably photographed as many times a day as Coit Tower.  And is it just me, or did he sprinkle San Francisco with magic dust?  2010 was a remarkable year.  The city took a major risk with big screen TV’s in Civic Center Plaza for World Cup fever.  And under the watchful eye of Three Heads Six Arms — it was a smash hit.  The night the Giants won the World Series, I swear Three Heads Six Arms was smiling down on hundreds of thousands in the square.

Three Heads Six Arms the night the Giants won the World Series

I walked past Three Heads Six Arms every day on my way to work, and photographed and videotaped him often.  This is my verse, my video, and my sentiment to a marvelous art installation that brought San Francisco a special energy that will hopefully live on.