The Flying Frenchman, Bronze sculpture at Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Tsim Sha Tsui, China.
The Flying Frenchman is a bronze sculpture by César Baldaccini, installed between the Clock Tower and the Hong Kong Cultural Centre on the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront in Kowloon. Its large wing section is broken and opened toward the sky, and the surface carries scars and damage from repeated struggles. It was cast in 1991.
César Baldaccini created the bronze in 1991 and titled it "Le combattant pour la liberté" (The Freedom Fighter). The Cartier Foundation gave it to Hong Kong in 1992, and it was installed between the Clock Tower and the Hong Kong Cultural Centre. The Urban Council rejected the original title as too close to the 1989 Tiananmen events and renamed it "Le Français volant". Baldaccini stayed away from the 1993 unveiling, officially due to hospitalisation, though rumours linked his absence to the renaming.
The sculpture was first titled "Le combattant pour la liberté" (The Freedom Fighter), but the Hong Kong Urban Council renamed it because the figure resembled the 1989 Tiananmen events. César Baldaccini stayed away from the unveiling, officially due to hospitalisation; rumours say it was a protest against the renaming.
You can find the sculpture on the waterfront near the Clock Tower, accessible through the MTR station at Tsim Sha Tsui. The location is open to visitors and offers views of the harbor and surrounding area.
The sculpture's original title, "The Freedom Fighter", was rejected by Hong Kong's government because it was seen as too close to the 1989 Tiananmen events; it was renamed The Flying Frenchman. César Baldaccini did not attend the unveiling, officially due to hospitalisation, though rumours say it was a protest against the renaming.
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