Fearless Girl
Created by Kristen Visbal, Fearless Girl stands fiercely in front of the New York Stock Exchange. She is there as a symbol of female empowerment; boldly holding the bankers of Wall Street to account.
However, her journey has by no means been plain-sailing.
The statue was originally unveiled on 7 March 2017, in celebration of International Women’s Day, and was positioned facing down Arturo Di Modica’s Charging Bull statue. Perhaps understandably, Modica took issue with this; his Charging Bull was created as a symbol of prosperity and strength, not confrontation.
Since Fearless Girl found her permanent home at the Stock Exchange, other groups have voiced concerns. Some feminists have criticised the statue as a representation of ‘corporate feminism’. Trump supporters have dressed the statue in US flags and MAGA apparel. Ownership rights over the statue itself have been disputed in court.
What this tells us – as we have all been reminded of in recent years – is that statues and their meaning matter to the general public. Sometimes, their greatest power is simply to start honest and open conversations.
