Chris Ripken Freedom of expression (2006)

This group of statues originated as satisfaction: after the murder of Theo van Gogh, artist Chris Ripken had written the text 'Thou shalt not kill' on his facade. The text was immediately deleted by the municipality. Ripken protested. He received apologies from Mayor Opstelten and an amount of 15.000 euros to make a new work of art. That became this sculpture group Freedom of speech. In the center of the group is a female figure made of blue ceramic. Around her are five heads in the skin color of five ethnicities. She doesn't have a head herself, but one is already starting to grow up from her torso. She is a primeval mother and with this 'beheading' Ripken expresses freedom of speech: it makes no sense to try to curtail it, she still exists and new heads emerge.