Sculpture to Non-Violence at UN Remembers John Lennon's Activism

United Nations, Oct 22 (Prensa Latina) Although it seems much larger in postcards, the sculpture of a knotted pistol calls the attention, be they visitors or regulars, who enter the UN headquarters in New York.

What many may not know is that work is linked to one of the four of Liverpool's most famous: British musician John Lennon, who is not only remembered as member of The Beatles, but also for his activism against violence.

Swedish sculptor Carl Frederick Reutersward was a friend of Lennon and his assassination shocked him, then he decided to dump all his emotions into a sculpture that has become symbol of the fight against violence.

This greatly contributed to its being placed in the Square of visitors of the U.N building, an institution that should care for peace and security over the world.

Now, the bronze sculpture is one of the almost obligatory places to take photos by tourists who visit the headquarters of the multilateral organization and also the most frequent image of news and events on disarmament and non-proliferation.

Other versions indicate that after the assassination of Lennon on December 8, 1980, his widow Yoko Ono asked

Reutersward to make a work in tribute to the musician.

The certain thing is that the Swedish sculptor was inspired on the most anti-militaristic songs of Lennon, the well-known Imagine.

It was initially thought to put the sculpture in Central Park, in the avenue that evoques the British Singer that is named after one of his creations: Strawberry Fields, located in front of the building Dakota, where he lived and at which door was assassinated the author of Imagine.

The knotted pistol or Sculpture to Non Violence was a gift of the Great Dukedom of Luxemburg to the UN and the best known work of Carl Fredrik ReuterswÃñrd (1934-2016), whose work is full of irony and denunciation.

The original in bronze is kept in front of the United Nations headquarters in New York, but there are some 30 replicas throughout the world, among other countries, in France and Switzerland,l varying in size in each place.

But the knotted cannon of the great Colt Phyton 357 Magnum stays unalterable as monument of the pacifist desire to silence weapons.