Monument to Woody Allen

The monument in 2005

The Monument to Woody Allen (Spanish: Monumento a Woody Allen) is a life-size bronze sculpture of the American actor and director Woody Allen, situated in the Spanish city of Oviedo.

Background and description

The statue was designed by Vicente Santarúa and installed in 2003 by mayor Gabino de Lorenzo. El País remarked that "It looks like he is walking with a sad face and his mind somewhere else, not in Oviedo right now, although if you put yourself to his side and start a conversation with him it is so realistic that it looks as if he would answer you". Allen had travelled to the city in 2002 to accept a Prince of Asturias Award.[1] His 2008 film Vicky Cristina Barcelona was partially set there.[2]

In front of the statue there is a plaque with Allen's description of Oviedo, reading in Spanish "Oviedo is a delicious city, exotic, beautiful, clean, pleasant, calm and pedestrianised, like it does not belong to this world, as if it didn't exist... Oviedo is like a fairy tale".[3]

Oviedo has been noted for its statues, with the city containing over a hundred outdoor sculptures.[4][5][6][7]

Vandalism and controversy

In its first year on public display, the statue was vandalised twice, including the glasses being broken in December 2003.[8] The city council said in 2008 that regular occurrences of vandalism meant that the glasses would only be repaired once a year.[9] Returning to the city in December 2005, Allen joked that he would speak to the mayor about the vandalism.[10]

In January 2018, the Asturias Feminist Organisation called for the statue to be removed, owing to the allegations of sexual abuse against its subject.[2] In his 2020 autobiography Apropos of Nothing, Allen remarked that a "hate-driven mob" might pull down the statue, which USA Today reviewer Barbara Vandenburgh considered to be "whinging self-pity".[11]

  • Plaque, with Allen's description of Oviedo
    Plaque, with Allen's description of Oviedo
  • Detail of face, 2005. Note the partial destruction of the subject's glasses
    Detail of face, 2005. Note the partial destruction of the subject's glasses

References

  1. ^ Granda, Fernando (1 May 2003). "Woody Allen ya 'camina' por Oviedo" [Woody Allen now 'walking' around Oviedo]. El País. Archived from the original on 12 March 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  2. ^ a b Erickson, Amanda (22 January 2008). "'An abuser and pervert': Women in Spain want a statue of Woody Allen removed". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 26 December 2021. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  3. ^ Vega, David (17 December 2015). "Oviedo: descubre la ciudad a través de un recorrido por sus estatuas más conocidas" [Oviedo: discover the city through a trail around its best-known sculptures]. El Confidencial (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 12 March 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  4. ^ "La memoria de las estatuas de bronce: las partes que más gusta tocar" [The memory of bronze statues: the best parts to touch]. La Voz de Asturias (in Spanish). 25 December 2019. Archived from the original on 25 December 2019. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  5. ^ Arce, A. (21 September 2021). "La Ruta de los Vinos regala una escultura de Urrusti a la ciudad". El Comercio (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 6 October 2021. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  6. ^ Elies, Miriam (7 October 2017). "Qué ver en Oviedo en 3 días" [What to see in three days in Oviedo]. La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 12 March 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  7. ^ "Conocer a fondo la "bella, limpia y tranquila" Oviedo en 48 horas" [Get to know "beautiful, clean and calm" Oviedo in 48 hours]. 20 minutos (in Spanish). 29 August 2012. Archived from the original on 12 March 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  8. ^ "Le rompen las gafas a Woody Allen" [Woody Allen's glasses broken]. El País (in Spanish). 8 December 2003. Archived from the original on 12 March 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  9. ^ Alonso, Irene (25 January 2008). "A la escultura de Woody Allen le cambian las gafas una vez al año" [Woody Allen sculpture has its glasses changed once a year]. 20 minutos (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 12 March 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  10. ^ "Woody Allen tropieza consigo mismo en Oviedo" [Woody Allen bumps into his very self in Oviedo]. ABC (in Spanish). 27 December 2005. Archived from the original on 20 March 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  11. ^ "Woody Allen's own memoir didn't do much to absolve him of Dylan and Mia Farrow's accusations". USA Today. 25 March 2020. Archived from the original on 16 May 2021. Retrieved 12 March 2022.

43°21′47″N 5°50′59″W / 43.36298°N 5.849638°W / 43.36298; -5.849638