Free Nelson Mandela (sculpture)

Alternatively referred to as a monument, the piece was originally created as a statement demanding the liberation of the imprisoned South African activist, Nelson Mandela.

The official title is Nelson Mandela Must Be Free to Lead His People and South Africa to Peace and Prosperity.

[1] However, it is most frequently called just Free Nelson Mandela, because those words are carved in the face of the granite rock that is the bottom portion of the sculpture.

[3] In addition to the intrinsic value of the sculpture and the historical statement, this piece is significant because it is one of the few, if only, public art works by Hammons.

In addition, the description on the Smithsonian Institution's Art Inventories Catalog states that the gate is left of center.