Another copy of “Camel Contemplating a Needle” is on display at Hall Wines in Napa Valley, California. PHOTO: HALL VINES
The US State Department is planning to spend $400,000 in taxpayer funds to buy a sculpture for the new American embassy being built in Islamabad, according to Buzzfeed.com.
The sculpture titled “Camel Contemplating Needle” is the work of American contemporary artist John Baldessari and it depicts a life-sized white camel made of fiberglass staring at an over-sized threading needle.
Officials explained the decision to purchase such an expensive art piece for the embassy through a four-page document by saying: “This artist’s product is uniquely qualified. Public art which will be presented in the new embassy should reflect the values of a predominantly Islamic country.”
In a statement, State Department press spokesperson Christine Foushee said the proposed purchase comes from the department’s “Office of Art in Embassies.” In new construction projects, she said, a small part of the total funds, about 0.5%, is spent on art purchases.
Steven Beyer of Beyer Projects, the art dealer for the project, said the government reached out. “They approached us,” he said. “We were, of course, quite surprised.”
The $400,000 price tag “is actually a very a reduced price for this sculpture,” he said. “There is an art market that makes these prices, and this is one of the most prominent American artists.”
Another copy of “Camel Contemplating a Needle” is on display at Hall Wines in Napa Valley, California.
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Welcome to Al-Bakistan..... why d owe need camels to represent Pakistan. We have better things in Pakistani soil... its history , it s culture that can represent Pakistaniat...
A camel is more of Arabia and dustyr sandy desert.....But one thing for sure.its mocking at Pakistanis.... however hard Pakista( camel) tries, it can never get via the american eye( of the needle)
It would be a more appropriate picture if the sculpture also has the statue of an Arab sheik sitting on the camel!
No one forces you to look at the camel ... just like no one forces you to read a book or watch something on the internet. If the USA wants to spend money on art you don't like .. tough .. it's their money .. why should you care?
95% of the above comments are the dumbest I've read today.
Why don't they ask for its copy from china? or even in pakistan they can get it for $400 or max $4000. :P
@PakArmySoldier: If you come out of DHA you can find lot of camels.
Nice :) some one is USA is also making good commission out of tax payers money. No harm, its a norm these days people :).
It is not US tax-payer's money. It is gift from Saudis. US could have put a model of DRONE in front of its embassy if it had used its own money.
Why is the camel so very white ? As far as the association of camels with Pakistan they recently had 'The International Camel Conference (ICC) under the patronage of Camel Association of Pakistan and the Islamia University of Bahawalpur' ; maybe that is one reason for the camel in front of our new embassy in Islamabad.. but why is it so very white.. and why is it a parable from Jesus ? ...
Just a way to fool auditors, they might be investing it somewhere else and in books they will try to show this as camel ;)
It actually depicts the Quranic Verse:
Those who have denied Our revelations, and became arrogant towards them, the gates of the heavens will not open for them, nor will they enter the Paradise until the camel passes through the eye of a needle.
An analogy perhaps that those who oppose American values and its doctrines, the gates of America won't open for them until the camel passes through the needle's eye
well camel has some significance in pakistani culture of thar and cholistan but not very much else where.
@ PakArmySoldier , Camels in balochistan, punjab and sindh even if kpk has less. (You know the importance of 3 provinces tied together.
First camel has nothing to do with Pakistan culture......its Arab
Secondly i dont understand why USA even after pulling out of Afghanistan want an dmbassy where 5500 people will bd stationed. They issue very few visas , whats the purpose????
To kill innocent Pakistanis they use drones, bribe the political leadership for their dirty crimes.......
Camels in the US embassy in Al-Bakistan.
Well they have money for it, they are not some poor country.
Why a camel? It's not native to Pakistan!
It was news for Buzzfeed since mostly americans read it, a large fraction of whom pay taxes (including this guy). They wanted to point the 'ridiculous' price... which is not true since large sized public art is usually pricey.