Blood-soaked copies of Prince Harry memoir ‘sold for five-figure sums’ – as artist plans coronation protest
An artist who soaked copies of Prince Harry’s memoir in human blood says he has sold some for five-figure sums – and is planning a further protest on the day of the King’s coronation.
Andrei Molodkin covered 25 copies of Spare in blood donated by Afghan people following the Duke of Sussex’s controversial remarks about his number of kills in Afghanistan.
A spokesman for the dissident Russian artist said the blood-smeared books went on display in Kennington, London, this week and seven copies have now been sold – each for at least $10,000 (£8,000).
The blood-soaked copies of Harry’s memoir Spare went on display this week
Fabien Nordmann, a long-time fan of Molodkin’s work, told Sky News he had agreed to pay more than the asking price as he wanted to secure “one of the first editions”.
“He’s a visionary,” Mr Nordmann said of Molodkin.
“He told me the price was $10,000 and I said: ‘What about to get the number 1 or 2?'”
Mr Nordmann, who lives in Paris and is currently working in the Ivory Coast, said he is yet to receive his blood-covered copy of Spare but will make arrangements to collect it when he returns to the French capital later this month.
The 77-year-old said he was not disturbed by Molodkin’s use of blood, saying it was “to shock” but insisting it was “less shocking” than Harry’s remarks.
Fabien Nordmann (R) pictured with artist Andrei Molodkin
Molodkin, an anti-war artist who lives in France, has previously said any money raised from the sale of the blood-soaked copies of Spare will be donated to Afghan charities.
The blood was originally donated to fill a sculpture Molodkin created of the Royal Coat of Arms, which was projected on to St Paul’s Cathedral in London in March.
Harry’s controversial comments
The duke faced criticism for revealing in his memoir that he killed 25 Taliban fighters while serving with the British Army in Afghanistan.
He wrote that it “wasn’t a number that gave me any satisfaction… but neither was it a number that made me feel ashamed”.
The prince also admitted that he did not think of those he killed as “people”, but instead as “chess pieces” that had been taken off the board.
Prince Harry pictured serving in Afghanistan in 2008
He wrote: “While in the heat and fog of combat, I didn’t think of those 25 as people. You can’t kill people if you think of them as people. You can’t really harm people if you think of them as people. They were chess pieces removed from the board, Bads taken away before they could kill Goods.”
Mr Nordmann said: “The son of the King said, like, it was a game. This is really shocking.
“You don’t kill like a game.”
Molodkin released photos as he smeared the books in blood
Mr Nordmann said he plans to keep his blood-soaked copy of Spare in his home “near a book of the Rolling Stones”.
It is the sixth piece he has bought from Molodkin over 15 years. “He has multiple talents and he knows how to express with quality,” he said of the artist.
“It’s like somebody from the Renaissance.”
The artwork contained blood donated by Afghans
Molodkin projected the sculpture on to St Paul’s Cathedral
Coronation protest
Molodkin is now planning a protest for the King’s coronation on Saturday when a video game will be available to access on mobile phones near Buckingham Palace.
The prototype game reflects “the very real atrocities that were committed in the Iraq and Afghani wars”, the artist says, and a link sent to selected people will only function within a mile radius of the palace.
Molodkin said the coronation was a ‘vulgar display of power and wealth’
It will use similar technology to that used by Molodkin last May, when he said an image of an anti-war sculpture containing the blood of Ukrainian fighters was live-streamed at Moscow’s Red Square, as Vladimir Putin oversaw Russia’s Victory Day parade.
On the King’s coronation, Molodkin said in a statement: “The money being spent on this vulgar display of power and wealth is built on the blood of victims around the world over many generations.”
Click to subscribe to the Sky News Daily wherever you get your podcasts
He added: “People are unable to feed their children and heat their homes so this display of pomp and ceremony should be seen for what it is.
“It is a violent assault on democracy through the monarchy’s quest to maintain its bloodline.”
They’re getting through 70kg of rice a day and the wholesaler has run out of noodles. Yes, Sumo returns to London on Wednesday.
It’s just the second time a Grand Tournament has been held outside of Japan – and this is a sport that has records going back more than 1,500 years.
It’s 34 years since the Royal Albert Hall hosted the only previous such event on foreign soil – and the appetite for tickets meant all five days sold out immediately.
Much of the focus is on the two grand champions or yokozuna, the 74th and 75th men to attain the rank.
They’re the Mongolian Hoshoryu Tomokatsu, plus Japan’s Onosato Daiki – who this year became the quickest wrestler to achieve the rank in the modern era.
“I’m happy that Sumo is back after so many years,” Onosato said. “I hope I can show the UK fans how fantastic Sumo is.”
“Being a yokozuna has a lot of responsibility,” Hoshoryu told Sky Sports. “We have to show everyone an example of what a yokozuna is – and that’s very difficult.
“My uncle was a yokozuna – and I’m happy to follow in his footsteps. But I came here to London as a yokozuna which he didn’t, so I’m even happier.”
The two are already great rivals.
Onosato Daiki became the quickest ever to achieve yokozuna rank. Pic: AP
At the recent Aki Basho – the most prestigious tournament on the sumo calendar – the pair finished with identical records after 15 days of bouts.
It all came down to a final play-off between the two yokozuna – the first time that had happened in 16 years. It was Onosato who came out on top on that occasion.
Hoshoryu says he is a big fan of basketball and football. He follows Chelsea, although his favourite players are going back a bit: “Didier Drogba and Petr Cech. He’s the ‘keeper. I like this guy!”
Early starts and a hearty stew: The life of a rikishi
The wrestlers – or rikishi – have a rigorous training regime.
They live in communal blocks called stables and practice starts early. Perhaps surprisingly, everyone skips breakfast. After training and practice – and for the younger rikishi, chores – the wrestlers all eat together.
The staple of their diet is chankonabe, a hearty stew packed with meat and vegetables. The feeding of the 40 rikishi who have come over for the five-day tournament is a challenge in itself.
Donagh Collins, the CEO of co-organisers Askonas Holt, said: “We are going through 70 kilos of rice a day. Somebody told me that the wholesaler for the noodles has run out of noodles. We’re really pushing the system here.”
The ring – or dohyo – is just 4.55m in diameter and quite small when two giant wrestlers leap at each other.
The aim of the fights is to either get your opponent onto the floor – or, more spectacularly, shove or hurl them out of the dohyo, so spectators in the ringside seats may be getting extremely up-close to the wrestlers.
The last time the tournament was in Britain, the massive Konishiki, known as the Dump Truck, took centre stage.
The giant Hawaiian was the heaviest-ever rikishi coming in at 287kg – or 45 stone. That’s a lot of wrestler to dodge if he comes falling out of the ring towards you.
Read more from Sky News:
Wildlife award revealed – see stunning snaps
Premier League players to take the knee again
The Royal Albert Hall may be firstly a concert venue, but it has hosted the likes of John McEnroe, Lennox Lewis and even Muhammad Ali.
And for the next five days, the cream of the world of sumo will be thrilling the crowds – provided a new noodle supplier is found.
What is a yokozuna?
Yokozuna is the highest rank in sumo, with its name meaning “horizontal rope” and refers to the rope worn around a competitor’s waist as they enter the ring.
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports2 years agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports3 years agoButton battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut
-
Sports3 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment1 year agoHere are the best electric bikes you can buy at every price level in October 2024