San Antonio police and arson experts on Monday investigated the vandalism of the large Lenin head sculpture next to the San Pedro Creek Culture Park on Monday.
“This morning we responded to some distress calls from concerned patrons, neighbors from some smoke and a loud explosion last night,” explained Liz Burt with Centro San Antonio. “We’re currently working with SAPD and looking at our camera footage to understand what that was.”
The lower half of the head-shaped sculpture, just below the chin, was damaged.
Investigators closed off the plaza and the sidewalks next to the new waterfall, near the intersection of San Pedro Creek and Commerce Street. Burt said law enforcement officials reviewed CCTV footage of the area.
The sculpture sits next to Texas Public Radio’s headquarters building. TPR does not own the piece or the property it sits on.
Two Chinese artists and brothers, the Gaos, designed the sculpture and titled it “Miss Mao Trying to Poise Herself at the Top of Lenin’s Head.” It portrays a small, feminized figure of Mao Tse Tung using a long pole to balance on Vladimir Lenin’s head.
It was installed in March. It sparked criticism on social media and talk radio because it came during the early months of the Russian war in Ukraine.
Seven months later, the piece attracts steady attention from passersby — including people enjoying the recently opened section of the San Pedro Creek Culture Park — and people attending music shows and other events in the new space next to the intersection of Laredo and Commerce streets.