CEO of the Foundation Sello Hatang (left) and Ambassador to The Hague Peter Goosen (right) hold a photo of the artist who created the piece
The brass statue presented to the Foundation
On 16 January 2013, a large brass bust of the late Mr Nelson Mandela, commissioned by The Hague, was formally handed to the Nelson Mandela Foundation.
Peter Goosen, South African Ambassador to The Hague, presented the brass artwork to Foundation CEO Sello Hatang, unveiling a 50cm-tall statue of Madiba’s visage in a pensive expression mounted on marble.
Created by Russian artist and Netherlands resident Alexander Taratynov, the artwork is a replica of a similar statue that resides in the International Court of Justice.
“I attended an exhibition in the Netherlands last year with the Russian Ambassador that profiled over 100 Russian artworks, highlighting the relationship between the Netherlands and Russia in art. The Ambassador introduced me to the Russian artist who had created the Nelson Mandela bust that appears in the International Court of Justice,” said Ambassador Goosen.
“It was the artist’s – and my – intention to present this bust to Mr Mandela last year. Unfortunately, we were unable to do so. Yet we appreciate this opportunity to present the Foundation with a work of art in his honour,” he said.
After the formal presentation, Ambassador Goosen and his family were invited to browse the permanent exhibition on the life and times of Nelson Mandela at the Centre of Memory premises, including a tour of Mr Mandela’s post-presidential office.
Ambassador Goosen and Mr Hatang view the items on display in the exhibition