I had heard about this, and we learn in the article it comes from the pagan festival Burning Man (even has an orgy tent). I think our last time driving through San Francisco was in 2018 while heading home from Half Moon Bay, and the place was looking noticeably worse back then. Funny story, we took the catamaran ferry into San Francisco from Vallejo once to visit the wharf and do some site seeing with the plan to take a bus back to the ferry terminal after riding the cable cars, but the buses looked so filthy we walked a few blocks instead. And the bums back then were pretty bad. It’s a shame how the far left liberals have run the place into the ground.
San Francisco’s Embarcadero Plaza became the stage for a bold and divisive public art installation: a 45-foot-tall nude statue of a woman titled R-Evolution.
Created by artist Marco Cochrane and presented by the nonprofit Illuminate, the stainless steel sculpture was unveiled with fanfare, featuring music, lights, and performance art.
Designed to glow at night and simulate breathing through internal motors, the artwork aims to symbolize strength, compassion, and female empowerment.
However, its debut has ignited a firestorm of criticism, with many residents and observers questioning the city’s priorities in the face of ongoing social and economic struggles.
R-Evolution, originally crafted for Burning Man in 2015, was intended to challenge traditional depictions of women in public art.
Cochrane has stated that the sculpture “is about being seen,” representing a call for a world where all people, particularly women, can exist freely and without fear.
“Women’s presence in public art is rare,” he told News18. “When they are depicted, it is often through outdated or passive narratives. R-Evolution challenges that.
She stands strong, aware, and grounded.” The statue’s installation in San Francisco, a city known for its progressive values, was meant to align with these ideals, with funding from the Sijbrandij Foundation and collaboration from the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department.
Yet, the towering figure, positioned prominently outside the iconic Ferry Building, has drawn sharp rebuke from a broad spectrum of voices.
Critics argue that the statue’s unveiling is tone-deaf, given San Francisco’s visible struggles with homelessness, open-air drug use, and boarded-up storefronts just blocks away.
“I don’t know where to begin about the misplaced priorities for the city of San Francisco,” said Bruce Lou, a former Republican congressional candidate, in an interview with Fox News. “They seem like they are focused on absolutely everything except the things that matter.”
The backlash wasn’t limited to conservative critics. Sarah Hotchkiss, arts editor for KQED, expressed discomfort in a commentary titled “Nobody Asked for This,” writing, “As I gazed up at this monumental steel and mesh sculpture on Thursday, I felt embarrassed for the city of San Francisco.”
Social media amplified the discontent, with a viral video by influencer Collin Rugg showing a cherry picker awkwardly positioned between the statue’s legs during installation, sparking memes and further ridicule.
San Francisco’s challenges are well-documented. Homelessness remains a persistent issue, with encampments visible near the Embarcadero.
The San Francisco Chronicle reported in early 2025 that despite efforts to increase shelter capacity, thousands remain unhoused.
Public safety concerns also loom large, with drug-related arrests up nearly 40% compared to 2024, though critics argue enforcement alone doesn’t address root causes like addiction treatment or housing shortages.
Against this backdrop, the decision to install a $1.5 million sculpture—complete with a 16,000-pound steel anchor plate—has struck many as a misstep.
John Dennis, former San Francisco GOP chair, called the statue “a perfect metaphor for San Francisco these days,” suggesting it reflects a city “dominated by the feminist, anti-male agenda.”
Others, however, see the criticism as overblown. Supporters argue that public art can coexist with social progress, pointing to the statue’s message of empowerment as a necessary counterpoint to systemic inequities.
“It’s a bold statement,” one resident told the Los Angeles Times. “Maybe it’s exactly what we need to shake things up.”
R-Evolution is no stranger to debate. Before landing in San Francisco, the sculpture traveled to Las Vegas and Miami Beach, where it also sparked mixed reactions.
In 2016, another Cochrane nude statue, a 55-foot dancer in San Leandro, California, drew similar criticism, with residents like Tonette Watts telling the New York Daily News, “If you’ve got kids, you do not want them seeing that.”
The San Francisco installation, initially planned for Union Square but relocated due to concerns about damaging plaza tiles, seems to have amplified these tensions in a city already grappling with its identity.
The statue is set to remain in place for at least six months, with the possibility of a year-long stay.
Its unveiling party, complete with a full bar, food trucks, and DJ performances by Burning Man-affiliated group Opulent Temple, contrasted starkly with the struggles of nearby residents.
“The art world might call that ‘juxtaposition,’” Fox News noted, “but many residents simply call it tone-deaf.”