He just doesn’t stop; Kenya’s moral policeman Ezekiel Mutua is at it again, this time taking offense from a controversial sculpture at the JKIA.
The sculpture shows two wildebeests in a seemingly mating position which Mutua describes as “bizarre and thoughtlessly sexualized.” It came to Mutua’s attention after a Kenyan on Twitter sought his intervention.
In response, the KFCB boss took to his popular Facebook page on Monday saying the sculpture is “the work of a dirty mind trying cheaply to sell their creativity.”
“This sculpture is bizarre and thoughtlessly sexualized. The sexual connotation depicted in this sculpture adds no value to the marketing of Kenya to tourists arriving or leaving JKIA. It’s the work of a dirty mind trying cheaply to sell their creativity.
“It is not different from the dirty minds who sexualize adverts on TV or on outdoor advertising. This sculpture would not lose any value if the animals were simply grazing in their natural habitation. The mounting aspect sends a wrong message and the sculpture must change. It fails our suitability criteria for content or information meant for public exhibition. We should not allow such bizarre ads and marketing strategies that are meant to create unnecessary sexual innuendo. We need to sober up!” lectured Mutua.
Following a social media uproar accusing him of overstepping his mandate, Mutua in a subsequent post wrote:
“Following my earlier post on this sculpture I have seen comments that suggest that it’s ok and that we are stretching our imagination too far. Let me hear from the experts now – what’s the direct and implied meaning in this sculpture? What creative value does the “mounting” add to the message and how would it change if the animals were not depicted that way? It seems like a light matter but my literature and communication studies tell me that this sculpture is inappropriate.”
The sculpture has since elicited mixed reactions from Kenyans, with some arguing that it depicts life on the move.
What we know for sure is that the sculptures are meant to showcase the Great Wildebeest migration – a major tourist attraction at the Masaai Mara.
What we are not sure is if the artist behind the sculpture wanted to portray mating or just another treacherous migration that sees Wildebeests leap on each other to escape crocodiles.
As with any other work of art, I guess the sculpture is open to interpretation unless the sculptor responsible states otherwise.
A similar sculpture is also erected at the White House. At the house on the hill, however, the migration sculpture is complete.
