Arnold Schwarzenegger, the legendary actor and former Governor of California, shared a photo of himself sleeping on the street beneath his own bronze statue. Alongside the photo, Arnold wrote:
“How times have changed.”
This statement was not merely a reflection on aging but a profound lesson about human relationships and the fleeting nature of power.
The story begins during Schwarzenegger’s tenure as Governor when he inaugurated a hotel featuring his bronze statue. The hotel management assured him at the time that he would always have a reserved room, regardless of the circumstances.
Years later, after leaving political office, Arnold attempted to stay at the same hotel. However, he was met with a cold response – he would have to pay for a room because the hotel was nearly full.
As a form of protest and to deliver a powerful message, Arnold brought a sleeping bag and lay beneath his statue, symbolically illustrating the transient nature of promises and privileges.
His message was clear:
“When you’re in a position of power, people praise you and promise everything. But as soon as you lose that power, they easily forget you and break their promises. Don’t rely on your position, wealth, power, or intelligence – none of it lasts forever.”
Schwarzenegger reminds us that people are often driven by self-interest; those who support you today might forget or betray you tomorrow. The real challenge is identifying sincere relationships and surrounding yourself with people who value you for who you are, not for what they can gain from you.
“Fragment of Power”: Schwarzenegger’s Performance as a Critique of Social Structures
In what initially seems like a personal gesture, Arnold Schwarzenegger delivers a universal message about the fleeting nature of power and the conditionality of human relationships. By lying beneath his own bronze statue, Schwarzenegger enters the realm of performance and conceptual art, resonating deeply with artistic practices that critique societal structures and the myths of greatness.
Material and Symbolic Power of the Statue
The bronze statue, traditionally a symbol of monumental and eternal glory, becomes paradoxical in this performance: cold and immobile, it serves as a reminder of empty promises and the fragility of relationships built on power and status. Schwarzenegger’s body beneath the statue destabilizes its symbolic framework, confronting viewers with the reality that myths of eternity and glory dissolve with the loss of political or social standing.
The Body in Space: Performance and Vulnerability
In this work, Schwarzenegger’s body becomes the subject of an artistic gesture, as well as testimony to his own vulnerability. In the tradition of performance artists like Sanja Iveković or Tom Marion, the body is used as a tool to critique societal norms. Here, however, it also symbolizes the fragmentation of identity in a powerful individual. Once the epitome of physical strength and political influence, Schwarzenegger transforms into a figure articulating the impermanence of every position.
The Temporary and the Eternal: Deconstructing Myths
Schwarzenegger’s act recalls works that interrogate the historical construction of myths, such as Ivan Kožarić’s projects exploring monuments. Kožarić, through works like “The Grounded Sun,” examined the relationship between monumentality and everyday life. His work questions the status of monuments as symbols of eternal greatness, often placing them in unexpected or mundane contexts, thus “grounding” them.
Similarly, Schwarzenegger’s act of lying beneath his own statue deconstructs the symbolism of monumentality. While Kožarić literally brought the sun to the ground, Schwarzenegger metaphorically dismantles his own myth of power, revealing the fragility and transience of such symbolism. This represents an artistic dialogue with ideas that question power and greatness through various strategies, whether in urban space or personal gestures.
In this context, the bronze statue, tied to the idea of permanence, loses its purpose when confronted with the presence of a living body and its mortality. Schwarzenegger deconstructs his own myth – that of the actor, politician, and hero – showing that no power is lasting or absolute.
Absence of Spectacle: Intimate Political Commentary
Schwarzenegger’s performance, though conducted in a public space, carries a deeply private dimension. He does not seek spectacle; instead, the silence and simplicity of his gesture emphasize profound human vulnerability. This is a work of introspection but also a resistance to historical narratives that glorify power while ignoring its fleeting nature.
Arnold Schwarzenegger has inadvertently created a piece that bridges the traditions of performance and social critique. His act of lying beneath his statue is not just a protest against forgetfulness but a profound meditation on time, power, and the human condition. Schwarzenegger reminds us that myths of power are transient and that human vulnerability is what ultimately connects us.