Charlie Kirk was shot and killed<\/a> at a speaking engagement in Utah.<\/p>\nAnd an Italian based sculptor is planning to mark the occasion by unveiling a life-sized statue of Kirk in Midtown Manhattan.<\/p>\n
The only problem, he says, is that the whole project has been a total disaster.<\/p>\n<\/noscript>Charlie Kirk, who founded Turning Point USA, speaks before former President Donald Trump\u2019s arrival during a Turning Point USA Believers Summit conference at the Palm Beach Convention Center on July 26, 2024 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Joe Raedle\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nArtist Sergio Furnari even admitted that he has considered whether the statue of the late Turning Point USA founder might actually be \u201ccursed\u201d after a series of financial and personal setbacks surrounding the controversial work.<\/p>\n
Furnari spent roughly $100,000 of his own money creating the monument, hoping it would attract wealthy backers and eventually raise millions of dollars. <\/p>\n
Instead, he says the project has generated little financial support while making him the target of online backlash.<\/p>\n
He adds that he has currently raised just $8,000 from his GoFundMe page.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was thinking that it was going to resonate with the world,\u201d Furnari told The Guardian<\/em>. \u201cBut man, people are strange out there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n
<\/svg><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\nThe sculptor has reportedly raised only a small fraction of what he hoped through crowdfunding and says he\u2019s been flooded with hostile messages from critics, including some threatening to vandalize the statue once it\u2019s publicly displayed.<\/p>\n
The setbacks haven\u2019t been limited to fundraising.<\/p>\n
While working on the sculpture, Furnari tripped over a roll of tape in his studio and broke his foot, an accident that only added to his mounting expenses.<\/p>\n
Asked whether the string of misfortunes made him think the statue was cursed, Furnari acknowledged the possibility before ultimately rejecting the idea.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs it cursed? Maybe. I don\u2019t know,\u201d he initially said. Later, however, he insisted, \u201cThe statue is not cursed. The statue is blessed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite the controversy, Furnari still intends to unveil the statue in New York City\u2019s Times Square on September 10, the first anniversary of Kirk\u2019s death.<\/p>\n
The sculpture depicts Kirk wearing a sweatshirt emblazoned with the word \u201cFreedom\u201d while holding a microphone, reflecting his campus speaking appearances. <\/p>\n
Furnari has said the project is intended as a tribute to free speech rather than a political endorsement, noting that he disagreed with some of Kirk\u2019s views during his lifetime.<\/p>\n
Whether the statue ultimately finds a permanent home remains unclear.<\/p>\n
For now, however, the viral monument has generated far more headlines than financial support, leaving its creator hoping his expensive gamble will eventually pay off.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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