A striking new addition to San Francisco’s Embarcadero Plaza, a 45-foot statue of a nude woman, is sparking both awe and conversation. Unveiled Thursday evening with a stunning display of music, lights, and performance art, the sculpture, titled R-Evolution, was created by the public art nonprofit Illuminate. Designed to glow at night and give the illusion of breathing through internal motors, the towering figure is meant to symbolise strength and compassion.
The sculpture R-Evolution, a 45-foot-tall sculpture of a naked woman by artist Marco Cochrane, faces looking up Market Street after it was unveiled at Justin Herman Plaza in San Francisco, on Thursday, April 10, 2025. (Carlos Avila Gonzalez/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)(AP)
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Nude woman statue in San Francisco draws criticism from residents
The stainless steel figure of a woman which was originally sculpted for Burning Man in 2015 by sculptor Marco Cochrane, is now situated outside the Ferry Building. While some might see the statue as a symbol of empowerment, most of the residents of San Francisco would beg to differ. The statue in particular earned backlash on social media after a video posted by influencer Collin Rugg of the statue went viral. The clip showed a cherry picker being awkwardly hoisted between the statue’s legs which started the momentum on the internet.
A user wrote, “Nothing says ‘reviving downtown’ like a 45-foot naked lady getting rear-end surgery,” while another quipped, “This picture kind of embodies the spirit of San Francisco — head up a**.” The statue is located just a block away from areas of the city where the issues of open-air drug use, homelessness and boarded-up storefronts are very visible.” Another wrote, “That’s what ancient Greeks and Romans used to do before they collapsed.”
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Political figures slam the nude woman statue
The criticism of the statute in San Francisco was not just limited to the Internet, as Bruce Lou who stood against Nancy Pelosi during the last congressional election bluntly stated, “I don’t know where to begin about the misplaced priorities for the city of San Francisco. They seem like they are focused on absolutely everything except the things that matter.” She questioned Pelosi’s relation to the city as she added, “I’m not even sure Pelosi knows about the statue. She’s originally from Baltimore and spends almost all her time in D.C., so the city and her constituents aren’t on the top of her mind.”
Former San Francisco GOP chair and current CAGOP Chair of Chairs, John Denis did not mince his words as he said, “The city named after St. Francis is now dominated by the feminist, anti-male agenda. The results speak for themselves. A giant, naked woman blocking the proud, iconic Ferry Building is a perfect metaphor for San Francisco these days,” as reported by The New York Post.
In a KQED commentary titled Nobody Asked for This, arts editor Sarah Hotchkiss expressed, “As I gazed up at this monumental steel and mesh sculpture on Thursday, I felt embarrassed for the city of San Francisco. One of several problems with R-Evolution is that we are all the audience for this thing, and no one asked us if we wanted it.”
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