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Venezuela demands the return of its 'grandmother', a sandstone boulder Venezuela demands the return of its 'grandmother', a sandstone boulder
(about 1 hour later)
The Venezuelan government is demanding the return from Germany of a red sandstone rock that is the central attraction of a Berlin sculpture park, claiming it has sacred properties and was stolen from a group of indigenous people.The Venezuelan government is demanding the return from Germany of a red sandstone rock that is the central attraction of a Berlin sculpture park, claiming it has sacred properties and was stolen from a group of indigenous people.
The 35-tonne boulder was procured from the Canaima National Park in south-eastern Venezuela by the German artist Wolfgang von Schwarzenfeld in 1997, who said it was officially gifted to him by the head of the park – claims that he backed up with extensive paperwork – and that the local Pemón Indians did not object to its removal.The 35-tonne boulder was procured from the Canaima National Park in south-eastern Venezuela by the German artist Wolfgang von Schwarzenfeld in 1997, who said it was officially gifted to him by the head of the park – claims that he backed up with extensive paperwork – and that the local Pemón Indians did not object to its removal.
But a small group of the Pemón is alleging that the rock is their "grandmother" – a petrified ancestor of the tribe – and that its removal, and separation from a "grandfather" has led to natural disasters throughout Venezuela, including a mudslide in 1999 that killed 20,000, harvest failures, and the disappearance of fish in the region's rivers. They are calling for its immediate repatriation.But a small group of the Pemón is alleging that the rock is their "grandmother" – a petrified ancestor of the tribe – and that its removal, and separation from a "grandfather" has led to natural disasters throughout Venezuela, including a mudslide in 1999 that killed 20,000, harvest failures, and the disappearance of fish in the region's rivers. They are calling for its immediate repatriation.
"Our grandfather has spoken to our elders in dreams and asks that his wife be returned, he can't live without her," Melchor Flores, an activist who sits on the national commission for Indian land rights, said."Our grandfather has spoken to our elders in dreams and asks that his wife be returned, he can't live without her," Melchor Flores, an activist who sits on the national commission for Indian land rights, said.
"We have ancestral times – the time of rain and the time of sun – that you call months," he added. "During our time of rain, things now are dry. It's not raining, and it was during this time that we'd go out to plant. The time of sun is when we harvest the ants we eat. The ants come out when they feel the sun, but we haven't seen ants in several years now. The times are mixed up, and we need [the stone] back so we can restore the equilibrium"."We have ancestral times – the time of rain and the time of sun – that you call months," he added. "During our time of rain, things now are dry. It's not raining, and it was during this time that we'd go out to plant. The time of sun is when we harvest the ants we eat. The ants come out when they feel the sun, but we haven't seen ants in several years now. The times are mixed up, and we need [the stone] back so we can restore the equilibrium".
Raúl Grioni, president of the Caracas-based Institute of the Cultural Inheritance of Venezuela, said the stone had been stolen, and his government was calling on the German authorities to send it home.Raúl Grioni, president of the Caracas-based Institute of the Cultural Inheritance of Venezuela, said the stone had been stolen, and his government was calling on the German authorities to send it home.
"We are asking the German government to begin repatriating the holy stone, our foreign ministry will submit a formal request in the coming weeks," he said in a statement."We are asking the German government to begin repatriating the holy stone, our foreign ministry will submit a formal request in the coming weeks," he said in a statement.
Von Schwarzenfeld has spent the past 15 years on his Global Stone project, collecting pairs of stones from all five continents, sculpturing, polishing and inscribing them. The 79-year old artist, in a claim supported by the study of a German ethnologist, said it was only after he showed an interest in the stone and with much effort shipped it down the Orinoco, to the coast, across the Atlantic and to Germany, that the Pemón started raising any objections.Von Schwarzenfeld has spent the past 15 years on his Global Stone project, collecting pairs of stones from all five continents, sculpturing, polishing and inscribing them. The 79-year old artist, in a claim supported by the study of a German ethnologist, said it was only after he showed an interest in the stone and with much effort shipped it down the Orinoco, to the coast, across the Atlantic and to Germany, that the Pemón started raising any objections.
"This project is self-funded and is not driven by commercial interests," Von Schwarzenfeld said. "But it has suited some people to say that an imperialistic white German artist stole it and won't give it back. First they claimed it was jasper, and when tests proved that was not the case and that it was in fact worthless sandstone, someone invented a story about its holy origins eight years later in the hope it could be claimed back." Von Schwarzenfeld said he had received death threats from those calling for the stone's return."This project is self-funded and is not driven by commercial interests," Von Schwarzenfeld said. "But it has suited some people to say that an imperialistic white German artist stole it and won't give it back. First they claimed it was jasper, and when tests proved that was not the case and that it was in fact worthless sandstone, someone invented a story about its holy origins eight years later in the hope it could be claimed back." Von Schwarzenfeld said he had received death threats from those calling for the stone's return.
The boulder, resembling a whale in shape and inscribed with the word "love" in seven languages, has pride of place in Berlin's Tiergarten park opposite the Holocaust Memorial and is a popular attraction.This week French schoolchildren on their lunchbreak were observed scaling its warm polished flanks, and posing for photographs on it.The boulder, resembling a whale in shape and inscribed with the word "love" in seven languages, has pride of place in Berlin's Tiergarten park opposite the Holocaust Memorial and is a popular attraction.This week French schoolchildren on their lunchbreak were observed scaling its warm polished flanks, and posing for photographs on it.
Bruno Illius, an ethnologist from Berlin's Free University and one of a handful of Pemón experts worldwide, who has visited the Indians several times in the past 20 years and interviewed them extensively about the stone, said he believed the campaign to see it return was being driven by the government of President Hugo Chávez, keen to secure a propaganda coup.Bruno Illius, an ethnologist from Berlin's Free University and one of a handful of Pemón experts worldwide, who has visited the Indians several times in the past 20 years and interviewed them extensively about the stone, said he believed the campaign to see it return was being driven by the government of President Hugo Chávez, keen to secure a propaganda coup.
"The whole protest has been manipulated," he said. "Hardly any of the Pemón know about the stone's supposed origins." He said the protests were triggered by two stories about the stone's origins posted on YouTube – one of Romeo and Juliet-style lovers turned to stone for violating an intergroup marriage taboo, and another, a Pemón rendering of the Hansel and Gretel fairytale."The whole protest has been manipulated," he said. "Hardly any of the Pemón know about the stone's supposed origins." He said the protests were triggered by two stories about the stone's origins posted on YouTube – one of Romeo and Juliet-style lovers turned to stone for violating an intergroup marriage taboo, and another, a Pemón rendering of the Hansel and Gretel fairytale.
He added: "Most of the Pemón even find it quite embarrassing. They do not consider themselves descendants of Hansel and Gretel. But there are some who want the stone back so that they can put it on a plinth and make a bit of money while they tell stories to tourists about the German man who stole it, and their brave fight to get it back. The whole row is worthy of a Gabriel García Márquez tale."He added: "Most of the Pemón even find it quite embarrassing. They do not consider themselves descendants of Hansel and Gretel. But there are some who want the stone back so that they can put it on a plinth and make a bit of money while they tell stories to tourists about the German man who stole it, and their brave fight to get it back. The whole row is worthy of a Gabriel García Márquez tale."
A spokeswoman for the German foreign ministry said: "The foreign ministry is at pains to broker a mutually agreeable solution which would be to the satisfaction of all parties concerned, including Venezuela, the artist and the city of Berlin, and in order to facilitate a return at the same time as protecting the interests of the artist, has suggested an amicable settlement."A spokeswoman for the German foreign ministry said: "The foreign ministry is at pains to broker a mutually agreeable solution which would be to the satisfaction of all parties concerned, including Venezuela, the artist and the city of Berlin, and in order to facilitate a return at the same time as protecting the interests of the artist, has suggested an amicable settlement."
But Gioni accused the German authorities of being slow to react to his government's request. "We have claimed the stone back on several occasions but their lack of response has made it impossible to move forward ... I don't suspect the artist was ill-intentioned, but we do find the lack of response very arrogant," he said. But Grioni accused the German authorities of being slow to react to his government's request. "We have claimed the stone back on several occasions but their lack of response has made it impossible to move forward ... I don't suspect the artist was ill-intentioned, but we do find the lack of response very arrogant," he said.