One of the most talked-about attractions at the world’s fair underway in Dubai is a towering statue made of marble dust that’s raising eyebrows just as its original form did more than 500 years ago.
At Italy’s pavilion, a 3D replica of Michelangelo’s David stands tall.
For most visitors, though, David’s head is all they will see as they tour the pavilion.
Only VIPs with special access will be able to catch a full view of the statue at Dubai’s Expo 2020.
The original David is nude, and some visitors see the limited view as a form of artistic censorship.
Others say his presentation is a form of artistic expression.
“It is no coincidence that David is not seen from the bottom to the top, as it normally is, but it welcomes people by looking at them in the face,” said David Rampello, the director of art at the Italian pavilion, according to The Associated Press.
Others pointed out that limiting who can see the full view of the statue creates a hierarchy.
“What the rich, the great and the good can see and what the ordinary folk can see shouldn’t be two different things,” said Professor Paul Gwynne, who teaches medieval and renaissance studies at the American University of Rome, according to the AP.
