Kaikoo #HVIII is a sculpture by Los Angeles-based artist Betty Gold. Originally located near the Administration Building on the quad, it stood 21-foot tall, built from red-steel. It weighed about seven tons. Donated by Sydney Feldman, the University dedicated it on March 8, 1985.
In 2003, ASBSU representatives campaigned to have it taken down, spreading pictures of the sculpture with Saddam Hussein’s head at the top. The campaign implored readers to “join the effort to tear down the Saddam statue!” In a letter to the editor, one student said the piece was “no more than a Rorschach inkblot.” Still others claimed that the dispute over Kaikoo evidenced that general education in public schools and college lacked informative material about art interpretation. Others argued that ASBSU’s plan to have Kaikoo removed was a way to detract from more pressing issues such as tuition increases and a lack of parking.
The University removed the sculpture from the quad over Winter Break 2013; it is currently in storage.
Written by Rachel Taylor, Summer 2019 intern