Sculpture that honours a black stray dog named “cop-killer” by the students who led the student protests back in 2011 asking for free and quality education.
The sculpture was originally created by the visual artist Marcel Solá @marcelsolaart , who built it out of recycled debris from protests. It was first installed on 15 November 2019 outside Salvador Metro station, in response to the Political Peace Agreement reached by the Parliament to appease the social revolt.
The sculpture was attacked several times. It was attacked with clubs, painted over, and it was even burned down by right-wing extremists on 27 November, leaving only its metallic internal structure intact. The structure was then spontaneously filled with flowers and green leaves by hundreds of people.
After it was burned down, Solá asked two renowned artists from Patio de Arte @patiodearte , Fernando de Calisto and Jaime Torres to work on a more solid and durable metallic layer from the original structure. This is how the sculpture has continued to be present in different regions and cities, becoming a symbol of the social revolt.
The stray dog represents Chileans’ own mixed-race origins. Strays abound our streets and they represent the endurance to survive abandonment, abuse, indifference, and discrimination, an analogy to the conditions of Chilean society. This is why the sculpture has resonated and strengthened this sense of belonging among so many people.
The sculpture was subject to further attacks afterwards: it was dragged in the streets tied to an SUV and burned a second time. Here it is showing its scars in the museum, as a result of embodying the social demands and the social justice sought by the Chilean people.
