BAMIYAN, AFGHANISTAN.-Artist Hiro Yamagata plan to commemorate the Budddhas with a multicolored laser images onto the clay cliffsides where the figures once stood. There will be 14 laser systems that will project 140 overlapping faceless “statues” in shades of green, pink, orange, white and blue. The show will be powered by solar panels and windmills. Afghan Government officials approached Hiro Yamagata in 2003 for this project. Last year they gave him conditional approval, pending authorization from UNESCO.

Gulam Sakhi Yousafzai, former acting deputy minister in charge of arts and culture in Afghanistan, stated, "They are the ones who will make a decision and will advise us. They are the experts. We are waiting for their response."

Hiro Yamagata stated, "I'm doing a fine art piece. That's my purpose - not for human rights, or for supporting religion or a political statement.”