[Reader-list] Bamiyan

[Paul Miller]

The Japanese artist Hiro Yamagata was trying to reconstruct the  
Buddhas of Bamiyan with laser/hologram projection. Extra electricty  
derived from solar panels was going to be used to power local villages  
etc etc But ahem, he was threatened with being beheaded. End of project.
Paul


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4134252.stm
Artist to recreate Afghan Buddhas

Afghanistan's famous Bamiyan Buddhas are due to be recreated by  
multicoloured laser images projected onto the cliffs where they once  
stood.

The 1,600-year-old statues, which stood on the Silk Road in the  
Bamiyan Valley, were destroyed by the Taleban in 2001.

Artist Hiro Yamagata will use solar and wind power to project a series  
of images onto four miles of clay cliffs.

Afghan government officials, who approached the Japanese artist in  
2003, are awaiting approval from Unesco.

Fourteen laser systems would project 140 faceless images, standing up  
to 175ft (52.5m) tall, onto the cliff-face for four hours every Sunday  
night.

	
I'm doing a fine art piece. That's my purpose - not for human rights,  
or for supporting religion or a political statement
Hiro Yamagata

United Nations cultural organisation Unesco must assess whether the  
laser beams could damage the cliffs.

"If there is a way to do it so there is no environmental impact, we  
would support it as it would boost tourism," said Habiba Sarobi,  
governor of the Bamiyan province.

"The images would remind us of what (the Buddhas) once looked like."

Yamagata estimated the project would cost $9m (£5m) and that it would  
be completed by June 2007.

Hiro Yamagata
Yamagata's works recently featured at Bilbao's Guggenheim museum

The California-based artist, who visited Bamiyan in 2003, hoped his  
artwork would give something back to the war-torn region by using the  
imported windmills to provide power for surrounding villages.

He also planned to employ local workers to build the foundations for  
the windmills.

"Many people say, 'My art will heal the people,'" said Yamagata. "Of  
course I help people, but it's more about not harming people."

"I'm doing a fine art piece. That's my purpose - not for human rights,  
or for supporting religion or a political statement."

Zahir Aziz, Afghan ambassador to Unesco, confirmed that an earlier  
Swiss plan to rebuild the Buddhas at the cost of $30m (£16.8m) per  
statue had been discarded.