After about 15 years and countless delays, the 11-foot-tall, 3,500-pound bronze statue of RoboCop has finally found a permanent home in Detroit, now standing guard outside the FREE AGE film studio in the city’s Eastern Market district.
The unusual public art project began with a 2011 tweet comparing RoboCop to Philly’s “Rocky” statue, which ignited a 2012 crowdfunding campaign that raised over $67,000 from thousands of supporters. The statue was completed in 2017 by sculptor Giorgio Gikas, but it remained locked away for years after the originally planned host, the Michigan Science Center, dropped out in 2021 due to pandemic-related complications.
Now that RoboCop is finally installed, James from the Josh Innes show, who contributed $100 to the original campaign are celebrating. James proudly told passersby that his modest donation technically makes him a fractional owner of the statue. Because after all his donation did contribute to .038% of the statues total cost.
Viewing it as more than just fan service, Campbell described the statue as “a big, beautiful, bronze piece of art” and “a symbol of hope,” saying the figure’s role as a crime-fighting cyborg resonates with Detroit’s modern push forward.
You can and SHOULD watch the video of James making his pilgrimage to his most valued piece of art, posted by the AP. You can read more and watch it here.
Below you can watch a few clips that was picked up by India Today news!