British artist buries MiG-21 fighter jet to symbolize the end of an era - Sensationalist Headlines

[IMG]http://img.radio.cz/H3zHNS9IT3EHlzsSatvNvK5jZvw=/fit-in/1200x1200/1506939342__pictures/ctk1710/stihacka_pohreb.jpg[/IMG] [url]http://www.radio.cz/en/section/curraffrs/british-artist-buries-mig-21-fighter-jet-to-symbolize-the-end-of-an-era[/url] [QUOTE]The premises of the research centre ELI Beamlines in Dolní Břežany near Prague were buzzing with activity on Sunday as workmen unloaded a dismantled MiG 21 fighter plane from several trucks and put it together again in preparation for its burial deep underground. As bulldozers brought up earth to make a hole big enough to swallow the plane, dozens of onlookers watched with a mixture of curiosity and disbelief. The idea of taking a plane from the skies and burying it undergrownd is that of British contemporary artist Roger Hiorns, whose media is sculpture and installation, using a wide variety of materials, including metals, wood and plastics. In this case he needed a Soviet made Mig 21 fighter jet for an art concept that many people fail to understand. Rudolfinum Gallery curator David Korecký told Czech Radio that acquiring a plane for the purpose had been no easy task. [I]“I was tasked with such a thing for the first time ever and you would not believe how many dealers and military buffs there are who believe it is sacrilege to bury a fighter plane. It was very difficult to find people with enthusiasm for the idea.” [/I]In addition to finding a plane and getting all the necessary rubber stamps for the art project it meant getting the plane decontaminated and conserved to avoid any pollution, and finally arranging workmen to assist in its burial which was estimated to last for three days. The choice of a Soviet-made Mig 21 was made to symbolize the end of an era, a symbolic act of saying good-bye to an era of development represented by the MiG planes. David Korecký says he sometimes had trouble explaining the meaning behind the artistic concept. [/QUOTE] :what: Developing countries without a proper air force could have used that fighter jet!

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[QUOTE=Toybasher;52796429][IMG]http://img.radio.cz/H3zHNS9IT3EHlzsSatvNvK5jZvw=/fit-in/1200x1200/1506939342__pictures/ctk1710/stihacka_pohreb.jpg[/IMG] [url]http://www.radio.cz/en/section/curraffrs/british-artist-buries-mig-21-fighter-jet-to-symbolize-the-end-of-an-era[/url] :what: Developing countries without a proper air force could have used that fighter jet![/QUOTE] [IMG]http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ut_lkluS2K8/TZ0pyPQtHSI/AAAAAAAAAPo/zNXKJoz0eQ8/s1600/lolito.jpg[/IMG] Even worse: African kids with the same condition as this man could have been fed for a whole year with this plane!

[quote]“I was tasked with such a thing for the first time ever and you would not believe how many dealers and military buffs there are who believe it is sacrilege to bury a fighter plane. It was very difficult to find people with enthusiasm for the idea.”[/quote] i wonder why also is it really an end of an era if countries, some which are actually developed, still use the damn thing? i figure something that no one uses anymore would be "buried". or better yet, just put it in a museum? lmao

what a waste of good hardware.

It would be pretty cool if they left the hole open but covered it with glass so you could at least still see it

Could have made for a kinda' cool sculpture if it were half sticking out of the ground or something, but just straight up burying a plane completely underground is just performance art fluff with seemingly little substance.

Why do a lot of artists seem to not care about history when it comes to weapons?

Modern art is such bullshit.

[QUOTE=Rastadogg;52796460]Why do a lot of artists seem to not care about history when it comes to weapons?[/QUOTE] Because military industrial complex or whatever. It gets people riled up so that's why the do it, they have no real point to make.

[QUOTE=St33m;52796452]what a waste of good hardware.[/QUOTE] that plane that was already dismantled and brought to the site in pieces sure was in its prime

[QUOTE=Rastadogg;52796460]Why do a lot of artists seem to not care about history when it comes to weapons?[/QUOTE] maybe he doesn't have a dick

[QUOTE=dai;52796467]that plane that was already dismantled and brought to the site in pieces sure was in its prime[/QUOTE] Could have been given to a museum as a cut-away, to show the complexities of making what is by all standards an "outdated" piece of equipment, but an amazing feat of engineering that would blow the minds of people earlier in that century. For reference, the Wright Flyer was airborne in 1903. Just 56 years later, the MiG-21 would go to be one of the most popular [I]jet fighters[/I] of the eastern/developing world. People literally could have been old enough to remember news about the Wright brothers and then see something achieving things thought unbelievable at the time. [t]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d0/MiG21operators.png[/t] Blue = Current operators Red = Former operators Just to show you how important this aircraft was to the way the world worked. Outside of war, the MiG-21 was an example of Soviet diplomacy (rarely seen, American diplomacy always takes the spotlight), the advancements of aircraft technology, and the changing world that went from continents being isolated from one another, to nations thousands of kilometers apart working with each other on a daily basis. This was a waste of something that could have made a fantastic art piece, or museum exhibit, to teach people how far we've come technologically in a relatively short period of time.

According to Wikipedia it is literally "the most-produced supersonic jet aircraft in aviation history" I don't really see why burying one is such a deal for everyone to get worked up over, I get that its a piece of history and all that but using one for an artistic statement isn't going to make a difference in the long run

[QUOTE=Wealth + Taste;52796453]It would be pretty cool if they left the hole open but covered it with glass so you could at least still see it[/QUOTE] Honestly, this. If you are gonna make an art piece out of something like this, then at least make it visible and tangible rather than some sort of feel-good action. If no-one mentioned it was buried beneath the ground no-one would know any different. It is a waste of an opportunity.

[QUOTE=Zillamaster55;52796485]Could have been given to a museum as a cut-away, to show the complexities of making what is by all standards an "outdated" piece of equipment, but an amazing feat of engineering that would blow the minds of people earlier in that century. For reference, the Wright Flyer was airborne in 1903. Just 56 years later, the MiG-21 would go to be one of the most popular [I]jet fighters[/I] of the eastern/developing world. People literally could have been old enough to remember news about the Wright brothers and then see something achieving amazing things. This was a waste of something that could have made a fantastic art piece, or museum exhibit, to teach people how far we've come technologically in a relatively short period of time.[/QUOTE] If it was the most popular jet fighter of the developing world there are probably plenty of them out there, one less isn't that big a loss.

[QUOTE=dai;52796467]that plane that was already dismantled and brought to the site in pieces sure was in its prime[/QUOTE] It was restored before being buried, supposedly there's a picture of it on the back of a truck trailer with the wings torn off and Czech air force logos on it, while the one being buried has the logos peeled off and fixed up. You were right though that it was basically like something from a scrapyard beforehand. My issue is why go through all the work of restoring it just to bury it?

-fuck my merge-

It's just dumb and disappointing because it shows a complete lack of appreciation for history and engineering on the "artist's" part. I can't imagine having a vintage jet fighter under my care and thinking "yes it's time to bury this incredible unbelievable machine and tell people we need to forget it existed." That's retarded. There's no art to this, there's no meaningful statement being made, it's just some dumb hippie managing to get his hands on something he doesn't understand and chucking it in a hole for smug self satisfaction.

[QUOTE=Grenadiac;52796534]It's just dumb and disappointing because it shows a complete lack of appreciation for history and engineering on the "artist's" part. I can't imagine having a vintage jet fighter under my care and thinking "yes it's time to bury this incredible unbelievable machine and tell people we need to forget it existed." That's retarded. There's no art to this, there's no meaningful statement being made, it's just some dumb hippie managing to get his hands on something he doesn't understand and chucking it in a hole for smug self satisfaction.[/QUOTE] [IMG]https://i.imgur.com/9axAGRU.png[/IMG] Wasn't the first one he's buried either, actually.

Shame this wasn't put on display in a museum, though I wonder if a few millenia from now people might dig it back up and speculate on its purpose.

Fighting the mole people through air superiority

In a way burying the 21 is pretty symbolic. It's arguably one of the most retained aircraft in the history of man and was used by numerous countries despite being incredibly advanced for its time. However, that time ended with the fall of the Soviet Union. There's a reason why nobody but a few countries want the 21 anymore. Other planes surpassed it and the factories haven't produced any parts for it in decades. Most of the current ones exist solely because their owners cannibalize other MiG 21's for spare parts. So in the end, having its own grave commemorating its success in the cold war is better than getting torn up in a hangar until it's not even recognizable anymore. Because that'll be the fate of the MiG 21 when no more of them are left. Could have just put it in a museum though.

[QUOTE=Rastadogg;52796460]Why do a lot of artists seem to not care about history when it comes to weapons?[/QUOTE] It's a pretty dumb performance but how is it not caring about history?

[QUOTE=EnlightenDead;52796489]According to Wikipedia it is literally "the most-produced supersonic jet aircraft in aviation history" I don't really see why burying one is such a deal for everyone to get worked up over, I get that its a piece of history and all that but using one for an artistic statement isn't going to make a difference in the long run[/QUOTE] This. People seem to get butthurt no matter how rare or common military items are.

[QUOTE=Action Frank;52796580]This. People seem to get butthurt no matter how rare or common military items are.[/QUOTE] Honestly I dont hold military stuff to any special standard, to me this whole performance is dumb as shit and would be still even if he decided to bury a train or something.

[QUOTE=Thomo;52796443]It belongs in a museum![/QUOTE] honestly, theres like 10,000 more of those jets, we dont have to put all of them into museums.

We don't need to preserve literally [B]every[/B] fucking tank/airplane/etc that rolled out of the factory ever. This was an aircraft that was produced in large numbers. Museums don't need 20 aircraft of the same type Another example: I highly doubt anyone here would argue we need to preserve every T-34, or any other Russian tank that was produced in huge numbers. Museums already have a fuckton of them Obviously if it's a rare example then it should be preserved.

[QUOTE=Toybasher;52796429][IMG]http://img.radio.cz/H3zHNS9IT3EHlzsSatvNvK5jZvw=/fit-in/1200x1200/1506939342__pictures/ctk1710/stihacka_pohreb.jpg[/IMG][/QUOTE] If he just kept it like this, it would actually look pretty great. Big aircraft shaped hole, like a grave for a fighterjet. With people walking above it like a reversal of roles. And people can actually still see the aircraft that way. And when it has been covered with dirt, then what? Small sign with "here lies a MiG-21, for I had nothing better to do that week"?

What a waste.