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The 6-foot-4-inch uncommissioned memorial sculpture of the late Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk, handcrafted by Queens-based Italian artist Sergio Furnari out of metal and resin, is scheduled for a public unveiling in New York City's Times Square on September 10, 2026, at 2:23 PM to mark the exact one-year anniversary of Kirk's death. Intended by Furnari to serve as a "freedom statue" celebrating free speech, open dialogue, and political bravery, the monument depicts Kirk seated while holding a microphone to mirror his final public appearance at Utah Valley University. However, the project faces severe financial and logistical hurdles, as Furnari claims to have spent roughly $100,000 of his own money—even selling his apartment to keep the project alive—while his GoFundMe crowdsourcing efforts have struggled, raising less than $8,000 of a $150,000 goal. Beyond financial strain, the independent installation has ignited intense public polarization and online backlash across platforms like X and Instagram, with critics fiercely questioning the monument's aesthetic merit, its relevance to a politically progressive New York City, and its legal status as an unapproved public installation, leading many to predict that the sculpture will face immediate municipal removal or public defacement upon its arrival.

Sergio Furnari Plans Unsanctioned Charlie Kirk Memorial Sculpture for Times Square

The Sicilian-born sculptor, who sold his apartment to fund the project and has no city permit, says the cast-steel figure will appear in September on the anniversary of Kirk's assassination

Zoya Mahroosh ZulfiqarJUL 20, 2026

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SculptureJUL 20, 2026

Sergio Furnari Plans Unsanctioned Charlie Kirk Memorial Sculpture for Times Square

The Sicilian-born sculptor, who sold his apartment to fund the project and has no city permit, says the cast-steel figure will appear in September on the anniversary of Kirk's assassination

Zoya Mahroosh Zulfiqar
The 6-foot-4-inch uncommissioned memorial sculpture of the late Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk, handcrafted by Queens-based Italian artist Sergio Furnari out of metal and resin, is scheduled for a public unveiling in New York City's Times Square on September 10, 2026, at 2:23 PM to mark the exact one-year anniversary of Kirk's death. Intended by Furnari to serve as a "freedom statue" celebrating free speech, open dialogue, and political bravery, the monument depicts Kirk seated while holding a microphone to mirror his final public appearance at Utah Valley University. However, the project faces severe financial and logistical hurdles, as Furnari claims to have spent roughly $100,000 of his own money—even selling his apartment to keep the project alive—while his GoFundMe crowdsourcing efforts have struggled, raising less than $8,000 of a $150,000 goal. Beyond financial strain, the independent installation has ignited intense public polarization and online backlash across platforms like X and Instagram, with critics fiercely questioning the monument's aesthetic merit, its relevance to a politically progressive New York City, and its legal status as an unapproved public installation, leading many to predict that the sculpture will face immediate municipal removal or public defacement upon its arrival.

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