Adam – The Happy Prince?

The statue of Adam, the man created by God, captures the moment Adam picked the apple from the tree of knowledge: surprised by the unknown, at the instant he overcomes the fear of his own finitude and begins to know good and evil.

It is also a parable of the Happy Prince from Oscar Wilde's fairy tale, whose splendid posthumous statue came to know the suffering of the people beyond his palace walls. Not only in its material — here, though, as a visual icon of pop culture.

While Wilde's statue sacrifices its own prestige and luxurious splendour to help people, the statue of Adam stands at a crossroads. We do not know whether he will believe in and sacrifice himself to the values of today's world, or recognise the true qualities of life. Adam's form, stance and colour also question his masculinity; his face carries narcissistic features, and the sight of his own reflection in the golden apple surprises him, raising questions about his own being, his ability to tell what matters in life and to be aware of the consequences of individual decisions.

Kuzica's work shows a person's moment of hesitation over the future: whether he will manage to clarify his identity and come to terms with the vanities of the world, so as to atone for his own sin and be accepted back by God…

Oscar Wilde: The Happy Prince and Other Stories, London 1888

High above the city, on a tall column, stood the statue of the Happy Prince. He was gilded all over with thin leaves of fine gold, for eyes he had two bright sapphires, and a large red ruby glowed on his sword-hilt. He was very much admired indeed. “I am glad there is some one in the world who is quite happy,” muttered a disappointed man as he gazed at the wonderful statue. […]

They pulled down the statue of the Happy Prince. Then they melted the statue in a furnace. “This broken lead heart will not melt in the furnace. We must throw it away.” So they threw it on a dust-heap where the dead Swallow was also lying. […]

“Bring me the two most precious things in the city,” said God to one of His Angels; and the Angel brought Him the leaden heart and the dead bird. “You have rightly chosen,” said God, “for in my garden of Paradise this little bird shall sing for evermore, and in my city of gold the Happy Prince shall praise me.”