Lone Men of Namibia

We spent a long time in Namibia during and after COVID and fortunately were able to travel even during lockdown. We spent much of it in isolation in the North West looking for Lone Men (Stone Men) statues.

The artist who I’ve spoken to on a couple of occasions is fine with their locations being known. So let’s put that silly rumour to bed. The only people who don’t want them published are the tour guides who can offer tours at silly prices to guide you to them, spouting garbage about nobody knows who or why they are there etc. Well I can absolutely tell you many people know who the artist is and why and where they are. I can even tell you where they live.

The number of people we’ve spoken to who think “the artist doesn’t want anyone to know where they are” is quite astonishing and just shows you how stupid people are and they literally believe anything they are told. Urban myth and mass hysteria springs to mind.

Unfortunately almost any web site you read references the rumour and although the artist wishes their identity to remain anonymous (many call the artist Renn) the locations were never meant to be secret. Why would you make art you don’t want people to see. It’s quite illogical if you think about it.

There’s a bit of mystery and fun to it all and finding them is really fun but it’s also bloody dangerous to go looking if you are a tourist in a rental vehicle and one who’s never been to the north before.  Some of the locations are quite remote. It’s not to be done lightly. We know what we are doing and we’re up there solo for long periods and used a lot of money and fuel looking.

Personally I think there are 23 men but again the rumour mill says there’s thirty something again with the same made up information perpetually copied from one web site to another. Even national news sites do the copying with no facts, just theft of previously made up information. It’s laughable. If it’s on the internet it must be true.