Well, the desmantling and transfer of the obelisk didn't go without hitches, which is hardly surprising at it weighs 20 tonnes.

During dismantling, the enormous weight of the structure destabilised the crane involved in the operation, partially lifting the vehicle off the ground and causing tense moments among the workers. Fortunately, it only produced spontaneous bowel movements and nobody was hurt.

From the junction of Cuevas de Motril and Calle José López Rubio where it had stood, minding its own business since 2007, it was manoeuvred to the Las Ventillas roundabout, which is next to the bullring.

However, before it is erected with the help of a large crane and several boxes of Viagra, it will undergo restoration work. Well… It’s not technically restoration work as it will be modified during the renovation process. These alternations to the original work has the sculptor that designed it rather niggled.

Yes, Abelardo Espejo Tramblin, designed it using weathering steel (also known as corten steel because of its trademarked name, COR-TEN). The alloys used form a stable external layer of rust that does away with the need for painting. This rust covering also contributing to its durability and distinctive appearance.

The sculptor made his objections to the move known, arguing that the piece was specifically conceived for its original location and that any relocation could affect both its “artistic integrity and its significance.”

Abelardo Espejo filed a formal appeal and sent a certified letter to the Town Council, claiming that the intervention violated his moral rights to the work, protected by international intellectual property laws, so there!

The Town Council couldn’t give a damn about his ruffled feathers and went ahead and moved it anyway.

It is worth pointing out, again, that the Town Hall decided that the Spanish jet fighter that was mounted on a stand just up from the hospital, opposite the gasolinera, needed restoring and moving to the nearby main roundabout at the top of town, from which the Gorgoracha road connects.

However, it has disappeared from view and was reportedly wrecked when they dismantled it and lies, in tears, in a municipal warehouse; something that the Mayor is keeping well quiet about, so good luck with the obelisk!

(News: Motril, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia)

Keywords: Obelisk, Calle Cueva, Sculptor, Abelardo Espejo, Bullring, Las Ventanillas, Moved, Saeta Fighter Jet

news, andalucia, granada, costa tropical, motril, obelisk, calle cueva, sculptor, abelardo espejo, bullring, las ventanillas, moved, saeta fighter jet

Reader’s comment: “For those of us who live down here on the Costa Tropical we should know where this is, of course…” – Louis