‘Look Here’, Massive Marble Baby appears in Fujairah
The year is winding down and everyone is prepping for celebrations and a new omicron wave. However Kilometres away, a giant sculpture of an infant appears in Fujairah.
Carved from white marble, the infant looks to be fast asleep. However, this sculpture evokes twinges of pity and sadness as you realize that the baby is naked and exposed to the elements.
This is ‘Look Here’ by Jago.
Conceived in New York, birthed in Italy
While living in New York City, the sight of the homeless left an indelible mark on Jago, the Italian artist behind Look Up. An idea sprung up but wasn’t realized until he returned to Italy in 2020 and saw the plight of the vulnerable during many lockdowns. Within eight months, he made Look Down (a play on “lockdown”), a baby in a fetal position with a chain cuffed to its wrist.
Installed in late 2020, Look Down rested in the Piazza del Plebiscito, a public square in Naples, where the artist resides.
Baby’s day out, and down becomes up
When covid restrictions finally eased, Jago removed the sculpture from the plaza and began searching for a new home for his creation. Seeking a hard-to-reach place, he decided on Fujairah, in Al Haniya desert.
Co-ordinating with the Fujairah government, the artist was able to install his work at the base of the mountains of Al Haniyah desert, where it will rest until March before being moved to an unrevealed permanent location.
With its new location, the work was rechristened as Look Here.
How to see ‘Look Here’
Reaching the sculpture isn’t easy. The first hurdle is a trek to the statue. However, even with maps, the location is tricky to pinpoint.
This is very intentional as Jago wants the act of seeing the child be more deliberate.
Despite the new name and the location, Jago says the message remains the same: tT compel the public to think and care about the most vulnerable among us, as we would towards a child.
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