Detroit installs 3.5-ton RoboCop statue: fans call it symbol of hope

A giant bronze statue of RoboCop has been officially installed in Detroit - more than three meters high and weighing about 3.5 tons. The figure of the iconic 1980s film character appeared near the Free Age film company building, where it now attracts crowds of visitors and causes a surge of selfies, The Guardian writes.

The idea to install RoboCop arose back in 2010 after a humorous tweet comparing Philadelphia to its Rocky Balboa statue and suggesting making RoboCop an "ambassador of Detroit". Although then-mayor Dave Bing denied the city's plans, the initiative was taken up by local residents - more than USD 67,000 was raised for the monument on Kickstarter in 2012.

Sculptor Giorgio Gikas completed the work in 2017, but the statue had been in storage for several years. The final decision was made after the Free Age film company purchased a building in the Eastern Market area and agreed to place the figure on its property.

According to company co-owner Jim Toscano, Detroiters came to see RoboCop even in the night blizzard. He believes that the city has "far removed from the image of the dangerous past," and nostalgia has only helped the installation.

Fans are actively visiting the new art object. One of them, James Campbell, who donated USD 100 to the campaign more than a decade ago, considers himself "0.038% owner of the statue" and calls it "a work of art and a part of film history." In his opinion, RoboCop has become a symbol of hope for the city.

"In the film, he saves Detroit. And today he also personifies faith in the best," Campbell said.

As previously reported, a monument to the daughter of Yaroslav the Wise - the Queen of the Ellises - was unveiled in the capital of Norway.