The standoff between the Wall Street “Charging Bull” statue and the temporary “Fearless Girl” statue positioned across from it has extended beyond the streets, due to the sculptor of “Charging Bull” calling for “Fearless Girl” to be removed and preparing for a court battle if his request is denied.
“Fearless Girl” — a statue of a young girl standing with her hands on her hips, as though in defiance — is a temporary installation in commemoration of International Women’s Day. Slated to be removed on April 2, its stay was extended until February 2018.
Arturo Di Modica, the sculptor of “Charging Bull,” is now calling for the statue’s removal, with his attorney Norman Siegel stating in public that there are “copyright and trademark infringement issues.”
A plaque that referenced the exchange-traded fund SHE, which supports companies that have hired women for executive positions, was removed from the front of “Fearless Girl” recently, motivating Siegel to say that “perhaps it never should have been there in the first place.” The plaque also read that the asset manager State Street Global Advisors financed the installation of “Fearless Girl” to honor “the power of women’s leadership.”
According to NBC New York, Di Modica believes that “Fearless Girl” alters the creative dynamic of “Charging Bull.” The latter was installed without the permission of the city in 1989, a comment by Di Modica on the rebellious essence of the country. Police confiscated the sculpture, but the city’s government placed it where it now stands after the public called for its return.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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