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On January 26, sculptor Dan Medina began his day at 4:30 a.m. He unloaded his 160-pound bronze statue and began a solitary walk to install the piece in the hills of Calabasas. And there, from sunrise to sunset, his incredible memorial to Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianni “Gigi” looked out across the landscape. On the second anniversary of the helicopter accident that claimed their lives, along with seven other victims, Medina wanted to make a statement.
In bringing his bronze sculpture to the site of the accident, which has turned into a makeshift memorial, he hopes to start a dialogue with officials about permanently placing the piece on site or nearby. In the piece, Kobe lovingly puts his arm around Gigi as they share a warm glance. Tucked under Gigi's arm is a basketball—a nod to Kobe's greatness and the sport that Gigi also played.
Medina spent 90 minutes hauling the sculpture up the hill, overcoming obstacles such as his wagon breaking halfway through the trek. He pushed through, carrying each piece individually, as he knew that's what Kobe would have advised.
“I’m not the biggest sports fan you’ll ever meet, but Kobe, for me, was bigger than basketball,” shared Medina. “He was an [intellectual], he spoke multiple languages, he was an avid reader. I met people who said that he was maybe the surrogate father or surrogate guardian to their children because of the way he spoke.”
It was also important for Medina to include all the victims of the tragic crash, which occurred when fog disoriented the pilot and he crashed into the hill. All passengers, including the pilot, perished in the accident. Medina included the names of all the victims on the pedestal of the sculpture, along with the phrase “Heroes come and go, but Legends are forever.”
Throughout the day, as people came to pay their respects, fans took photographs with the statue. For Medina, it was an emotional experience to see the effect that his art had on others. “I’ve had so many parents cry in my arms today,” he said.
The Southern California-based sculptor is also working on a life-size version of the statue, which he would love to see installed in downtown Los Angeles. Until then, he's hoping that the momentum of his spontaneous decision to erect the statue will start a dialogue with officials about giving the sculpture a permanent, public home.
Sculptor Dan Medina installed his moving memorial to Kobe and Gianna Bryant on the anniversary of their passing.
A bronze sculpture of basketball great Kobe Bryant & daughter, Gigi, was erected temporarily at the Calabasas crash site on the 2nd anniversary of the disaster that also claimed the lives of 7 others. Sculptor Dan Medina pulled the 150-lbs sculpture up a steep hill. #girldad pic.twitter.com/L8ln4OtZSq
— Richard Winton (@LAcrimes) January 26, 2022
He hauled the 160-pound bronze sculpture to the site of the helicopter crash that claimed nine lives.
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The names of all the victims are inscribed on the statue's pedestal.
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The sculpture sat in place from sunrise to sunset in hopes to bring enough attention to start a dialogue about giving it a permanent home.
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Medina is also working on a life-size sculpture that he hopes to install in downtown Los Angeles.
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Medina has said that he's looking to donate his work for a permanent, public installation.
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Dan Medina: Website | Facebook | Instagram
h/t: [Today]
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