04 April 2008 - 16H00

Sculpture of Saddam's wife burnt down in London

A sculpture named after Saddam Hussein's first wife and made of cardboard boxes, adhesive tape and an oil drum has been burnt down in a London park, its artist's gallery said Friday.

"Sajida Talfah" by artist Graham Hudson had been on display in Holland Park in west London for two months but has now been completely destroyed.

Ed Greenacre, a director at the London gallery which sells Hudson's work, Rokeby, confirmed what had happened and said: "We are very disappointed that Graham Hudson's sculpture has been damaged... At this stage, we do not know who is responsible.

"If it was a mindless act of vandalism, that is one thing: if, however, it was a premeditated act on a work of art, then that is another story."

In 2006, Talfah was named on an Iraqi government most wanted list.

Explaining the rationale for the sculpture on his gallery's website, Hudson said: "The boxes, oil drum, and cable reels are all carriers; vessels for something else.

"Power, in the case of the oil and cable drums, and consumerism for the cardboard boxes."

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