Wikipedia Monument
The Wikipedia Monument (Polish: [Pomnik Wikipedii] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)), located in Słubice, Poland, is a statue designed by Armenian sculptor Mihran Hakobyan honoring Wikipedia contributors. The fiber and resin sculpture cost about 50,000 złotys (approximately $14,000; 12,000 euros) and was funded by Słubice regional authorities. It was unveiled in Frankfurt Square (Plac Frankfurcki) on 22 October 2014 in a ceremony that included representatives from both local Wikimedia chapters and the Wikimedia Foundation.
| Polish: Pomnik Wikipedii | |
 The sculpture in October 2014 | |
| Artist | Mihran Hakobyan |
|---|---|
| Year | 22 Template:MONTHNAME 2014 |
| Type | Sculpture |
| Material | |
| Subject | Wikipedia community |
| Dimensions | 170 cm × 60 cm × 60 cm (67 in × 24 in × 24 in) |
| Location | Słubice, Poland |
| Script error: No such module "geobox coor". | |
| Owner | Słubice regional authorities |
Description
editMIHRAN HAKOBYAN
Wikipedia
With this monument the citizens of Słubice
would like to pay homage to thousands of
anonymous editors all over the world, who
have contributed voluntarily to the creation
of Wikipedia, the greatest project co-cre-
ated by people regardless of political, re-
ligious or cultural borders. In the year this
monument is unveiled Wikipedia is avail-
able in more than 280 languages and con-
tains about 30 million articles. The bene-
factors behind this monument feel certain
that with Wikipedia as one of its pillars the
knowledge society will be able to contrib-
ute to the sustainable development of our
civilization, social justice and peace among
nations.
The monument depicts four figures holding aloft a globe based on the Wikipedia logo,[2] reaching over two meters up.[3][4] The fiber and resin statue was designed by Armenian-born artist Mihran Hakobyan, who graduated from Collegium Polonicum.[2][4][5] It cost about 50,000 złotys (approximately $14,000; 12,000 euros) and was funded by Słubice regional authorities.[2][5][6]
History
editThe monument was suggested around 2010[6] by [[{{{1}}}]] [], a university professor and director of the [[{{{1}}}]] [] in Słubice. Wojciechowski said, "I'm ready to drop to my knees before Wikipedia, that's why I thought of a monument where I could do it."[2] Polish Wikipedia is a popular website in Poland and, with over a million articles, the 12th-largest Wikipedia in the world.[5][7] According to Piotr Łuczynski, deputy mayor, the memorial "will highlight the town’s importance as an academic centre".[5] A Wikimedia Polska representative stated that the organization hopes that this project will "raise awareness of the website and encourage people to contribute."[4]
It was unveiled on 22 October 2014,[2] on the [[{{{1}}}]] [],[4][6] becoming the world's first monument to the online encyclopedia.[5] Representatives from the Wikimedia Foundation as well as from the Wikimedia chapters for Poland and Germany (Wikimedia Polska and Wikimedia Deutschland, respectively) attended the dedication ceremony.[5][8] Dariusz Jemielniak, a professor of management, Wikimedia activist, and an author of Common Knowledge? An Ethnography of Wikipedia, delivered an opening ceremony address.[9]
-
Symposium in the Collegium Polonicum -
Unveiling of the Monument -
Video of the unveiling
-
Representatives and persons responsible at the unveiling
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Statement from Jimmy Wales
editOn the occasion of the unveiling, Jimmy Wales, the co-founder of Wikipedia, issued the following statement of recognition:
When Wikipedia started back in 2001 I have to say that I never imagined a day when Wikipedia would be honored with a monument – we write about them, we photograph them with our Wiki Loves Monuments competition, and now we have a monument of our own. It is a truly special and exciting day, and one that I hope shines the spotlight on the thousands of Wikimedians who edit Wikipedia and make it the source of free knowledge it has come to be. I look forward to visiting Słubice one day to see the monument for myself and perhaps meeting some of those involved in the project.[10]
References
edit- ^ "Photograph of the Wikipedia momument inscription". gorzow.gazeta.pl. Adamski, Daniel, photographer. Agencja Gazeta. 22 October 2014. Retrieved 22 October 2014.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: others (link) - ^ a b c d e "Poland to Honor Wikipedia With Monument". ABC News. 9 October 2014. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
- ^ "World's first Wikipedia monument unveiled in Poland". thenews.pl. Retrieved 24 October 2014.
- ^ a b c d Day, Matthew (10 October 2014). "Polish town to build statue honouring Wikipedia". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f "Poland to unveil world's first Wikipedia monument". Polskie Radio. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
- ^ a b c "W nowosolskim Malpolu powstaje pierwszy na świecie pomnik Wikipedii" (in Polish). 10 October 2014. Retrieved 13 October 2014.
- ^ List of Wikipedias – Meta. Retrieved 8 September 2014.
- ^ "Slubice: Polnische Stadt setzt Wikipedia ein Denkmal". Der Spiegel (in German). Retrieved 10 October 2014.
- ^ "Wikipedia na cokoły! W Słubicach będzie miała pomnik" (in Polish). 21 October 2014. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
- ^ "Press releases: First-ever Wikipedia Monument unveiled in Poland". Wikimedia Foundation. 22 October 2014. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
External links
edit- Press release: First-ever Wikipedia Monument unveiled in Poland, Wikimedia Foundation