(970 WFLA) -- That statue of a giant kissing couple, a World War two sailor and nurse, parked on Sarasota's bayfront for the last few years, is going horizontal, at least temporarily... and it may need to get a room.
The reason: A car crashed into the giant sailor's right foot. The city says there are significant fractures, and the 26-foot-high statue's structural integrity is in danger. The city is using a crane to lower the statue. Then the car gets towed away.
The Sarasota Arts Foundation, insurance company and the owner will determine the process to follow to repair the statue.
“Unconditional Surrender” is on loan to the City of Sarasota. It's reportedly based on an event photographed in New York's Times Square, during celebrations following the announcement of Japan's surrender in World War Two. That's led to copyright claims by the owner of the photograph. The statue has also been controversial among Sarasota's art community, where some consider it too kitschy for the upscale bayfront. It's been there on loan, since 2009.
