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It’s been nearly one year since Charlie Kirk was shot and killed at a speaking engagement in Utah.
And an Italian based sculptor is planning to mark the occasion by unveiling a life-sized statue of Kirk in Midtown Manhattan.
The only problem, he says, is that the whole project has been a total disaster.
Artist Sergio Furnari even admitted that he has considered whether the statue of the late Turning Point USA founder might actually be “cursed” after a series of financial and personal setbacks surrounding the controversial work.
Furnari spent roughly $100,000 of his own money creating the monument, hoping it would attract wealthy backers and eventually raise millions of dollars.
Instead, he says the project has generated little financial support while making him the target of online backlash.
He adds that he has currently raised just $8,000 from his GoFundMe page.
“I was thinking that it was going to resonate with the world,” Furnari told The Guardian. “But man, people are strange out there.”
The sculptor has reportedly raised only a small fraction of what he hoped through crowdfunding and says he’s been flooded with hostile messages from critics, including some threatening to vandalize the statue once it’s publicly displayed.
The setbacks haven’t been limited to fundraising.
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.
Asked whether the string of misfortunes made him think the statue was cursed, Furnari acknowledged the possibility before ultimately rejecting the idea.
“Is it cursed? Maybe. I don’t know,” he initially said. Later, however, he insisted, “The statue is not cursed. The statue is blessed.”
Despite the controversy, Furnari still intends to unveil the statue in New York City’s Times Square on September 10, the first anniversary of Kirk’s death.
The sculpture depicts Kirk wearing a sweatshirt emblazoned with the word “Freedom” while holding a microphone, reflecting his campus speaking appearances.
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’s views during his lifetime.
Whether the statue ultimately finds a permanent home remains unclear.
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.