In the USA, at the Seattle Aviation Museum, on June 21, 2025, a presentation of a unique art object took place. This is a decommissioned Soviet MiG-21 fighter, which was completely covered with millions of colorful beads.
Work on the MiG-21 lasted five years with the participation of about 100 craftsmen from Zimbabwe and South Africa. The surface of the aircraft is a fabric of tens of millions of beads, manually attached to the aluminum body.
The author of the project is South African artist Ralph Ziman, known for "rethinking" combat vehicles using traditional beadwork techniques.
The entire fuselage and wings are covered with patterns, and the lines of the cockpit are highlighted by glowing glass. As a result, the plane resembles a huge "living canvas" that shimmers with colors and plays with rhythm.
The MiG-21 is a legendary fighter of the Cold War, produced in a quantity of more than 11,000 units and operated in dozens of countries. One of these aircraft has now become a world-class work of art.
The Seattle Aviation Museum plans to make the MiG-21 one of its most popular exhibits. Visitors will not only be able to admire the unusual art object, but also think about its deep meaning, about the fragility of the world and the power of art.
Earlierwww1.ru reported thata full-size model of the AM-38F aircraft engine for the MiG-3 attack aircraft was recreated on a 3D printer by engineers from UEC-Kuznetsov.
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