"Eye of Sauron" ("The All-Seeing Eye") over the Moscow City complex

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

At the end of 2014, many media outlets reported that the All-Seeing Eye would flare up over the Moscow City towers. For many, this news caused indignation, bewilderment and rejection, although it was just an installation dedicated to the release of another Hollywood blockbuster.

International Business Center

The international business center, called Moscow City, is located on Presnenskaya embankment. Some of the buildings have already been built and put into operation, but work continues on many sites.

Multiple high-tech towers sparkle with a mirror surface, and at night, brightly lit skyscrapers rise above the city, visible from many points in Moscow.

And it was on the roof of one of these towers that the creative group "Glow" decided to exhibit an art object called "Eye of Sauron". The site for the installation was to serve as a high-rise of the not yet commissioned IQ-quarter complex, consisting of three towers.

Why was such an installation necessary?

In recent years, the release of many high-profile film premieres is accompanied byvarious large-scale actions designed to draw attention to the emerging picture. Airplanes are painted in the colors of the upcoming film and characters are drawn on them, huge posters are hung out, and video installations are created on the walls of buildings. In this series, the "All-Seeing Eye of Sauron", burning in the night over Moscow, looks quite logical.

The installation of this art object was timed to coincide with the release of the final part of the Hobbit film trilogy created by Peter Jackson. This outstanding director from a small children's book has created a large-scale canvas with a lot of special effects and battles, which is necessary to watch on the big screen.

The Hobbit and his adventures

The Hobbit is a trilogy that has worldwide popularity. The action of both the book and the film takes place in the fictional magical world of Middle-earth. Here, in addition to people, elves, gnomes, evil orcs, goblins and even dragons live. And if all of the listed characters have already appeared more than once in various fantastic works or computer games, then hobbits are unusual creatures. These short men with hairy feet and habits of zealous stay-at-homes were invented by Professor Tolkien, the man who in many ways created the fantasy genre as such.

The Hobbit is a trilogy in which Bilbo Baggins becomes the main character, who, contrary to common sense, went on a dangerous journey in the company of gnomes and an old wizard. The goal of the campaign was the Lonely Mountain, once the possession of the dwarves, but captured by a dragon named Smaug.

As we move towards the goal in front of the companymore and more formidable dangers arose, and in the final part of the trilogy, the main enemy turned out to be not the formidable Smaug at all, but the combined forces of orcs and goblins.

From another opera

Surely the reader is already wondering what role is assigned to this whole story of the "Eye of Sauron". Paradoxically, none at all. So where did the "Eye of Sauron" come from? The fact is that this image is taken from another work of Tolkien, also filmed by Jackson.

The plot of "The Lord of the Rings" is a continuation of the book "The Hobbit". Here the main role is also assigned to the hobbit, only not Bilbo, but his nephew named Frodo. During his journey, described in The Hobbit, Bilbo found a magic ring. And this is what becomes the driving force behind Tolkien's next, larger and "adult" book.

The adaptation of The Lord of the Rings was made back in 2001-2003. She brought Peter Jackson not only the title of one of the best directors of our time, but also numerous awards, as well as significant profits. A few years after the release of this picture, also consisting of three parts, Jackson refused to shoot a prequel, the same "The Hobbit", but as a result he agreed.

Great magician and villain

What is the meaning of "The All-Seeing Eye"? The embodiment of evil in the world of Middle-earth, described in The Lord of the Rings, was the sorcerer and magician Sauron. He was not a man, but a powerful spirit, Maya, who took on a human form. Longprior to the operation of both books, he was defeated and disembodied. Over time, he regained his strength, but he could no longer take a physical form. His incarnation was the fiery "All-Seeing Eye".

This "Eye" tirelessly watched its slaves and conquered peoples, it embodied the concentrated willpower of a sorcerer.

But even the "All-Seeing Eye" could not see everything. As befits the legends, the evil was destroyed, Sauron fell and his "Eye" collapsed along with all his magic.

"The All-Seeing Eye" in the movie

In Jackson's painting, the created image of the "Eye" was an eye blazing with fire, located on the very top of the sorcerer's stronghold in Mordor, the land of evil and fear. Eternal darkness reigns here, in which the "Eye" shines like a bright ominous beacon, watching everything around. This is the territory of death, where everything dies and falls.

In fact, Sauron was not all-seeing and all-powerful, otherwise a small group of brave representatives of different peoples of Middle-earth would not have been able to defeat him. And the "All-Seeing Eye" embodied the sorcerer's ability to turn his attention to individuals and win them over to his side, playing on their weaknesses. Many strong and proud rulers and magicians who turned away from good became victims of Sauron's cunning, turned into his obedient puppets.

"The All-Seeing Eye" as an art object

Why was this image chosen by the creative team to create an installation on the roof of the tower?There are two reasons for this:

• This image is much more famous among fans of Tolkien, Peter Jackson and fantasy in general, as it has repeatedly appeared in the mega-popular Lord of the Rings. There are no such vivid and memorable images in the new trilogy.
• A bright, glowing eye in the night, regardless of the context, looks extremely impressive and certainly should have attracted everyone's attention.

The physical manifestation of the "All-Seeing Eye"

The creation of this object was supposed to be a demonstration of modern technology. As a frame, it was planned to create an inflatable eye, onto which a video installation of the burning "Oka" is projected. GiveAR, a company specializing in the development of virtual reality objects, was supposed to create the structure.

According to the idea of the creators of this installation, the "Eye of Sauron" was supposed to appear only for a short time, and then disappear, which was supposed to show the victory of the forces of good over evil. However, this idea was not destined to be fully realized.

And the Russian Orthodox Church is against it

The announced action caused a lively discussion. While fans of the book and film were mostly positive about the idea, other opinions were divided.

Categorically opposed by the Russian Orthodox Church, whose representatives condemned such an object. The Russian Orthodox Church saw a demonic image in this installation. The "All-Seeing Eye" is a symbol of evil and oppression, the appearance of which over Moscow can bring negative consequences.

Representatives of the mayor's officeMoscow also did not approve of the idea. And their arguments turned out to be stronger - after all, permission from the authorities is required to coordinate the installation of such facilities.

Political background

A significant part of those who were categorically against the temporary appearance of the "Eye of Sauron", referred to the already negative perception of Russia by many Western countries. And the appearance of the "All-Seeing Eye" above the high-rise tower could visually turn Moscow into Mordor.

At first glance, such a judgment seems frivolous. However, everything is not so simple. The fact is that The Lord of the Rings was created during and immediately after World War II. And although later Tolkien himself constantly denied these parallels, it is difficult not to see in Mordor an allusion to Nazi Germany. And during the Cold War, the Soviet Union was occasionally associated with Mordor, opposing it with a positive and noble West. Indeed, in Tolkien's geography, the East has always been a land captured by evil, and only good forces from the West could resist it.

And now, at the time of the next confrontation between Russia and Western states, albeit not so sharp and obvious, our country again claims the title of Universal Evil. So there is a certain reason for such a ban - there is no need to give political opponents an additional reason to accuse Russia of all sins.

In addition, "The All-Seeing Eye" could evoke an association with another well-known work, "1984" by Orwell. It is from there that the famous expression "Big Brother sees you" came from. And a fiery eye that can findany person in a huge metropolis, could well give rise to jokes about total control in the country.

Show failed

As a result, having received a large number of negative responses, as well as a refusal from the Moscow City Hall, the creative studio was forced to back down. A loud and scandalous action was canceled.

However, a loophole has been found. On the wall of one of the towers of the IQ-quarter complex, albeit for a short time, a sparkling and frightening image of the "Eye of Sauron" nevertheless appeared. How to see it? This could not be done without the help of special tools. Smartphones and tablets capable of recognizing a QR code (a type of barcode) could see a flaming image of the "All-Seeing Eye" on their screens.

Was there a boy?

It is possible that all the fears of the protesters were in vain, and in fact no installation was planned to be erected. There is no reason to refuse the version that all this hype was a banal PR company for a company that creates similar effects of virtual and augmented reality. Indeed, thanks to the scandal, many first learned about the existence of GiveAR, which managed to attract attention so brightly.

This version is also supported by the fact that by the time the installation was abandoned, its physical form had not yet been created.