The bust was four feet tall and closely matched the existing column on which it was placed. The word "Snowden" was also placed at the base of the column.

Officials removed the figure later in the day, after placing a blue tarp over the rendering of Snowden's face. A spokesperson for the New York Parks Department told Mashable, "Parks and NYPD have removed the sculpture. The erection of any unapproved structure or artwork in a city park is illegal."

But Snowden's image would soon return. On Monday night, the bust was replaced with what The Illuminator Art Collective calls an Edward Snowden hologram.

NPR spoke with three members of the collective, and they said their decision to replace the sculpture was a bit spontaneous. They had actually gone to the park to see the sculpture, but got there too late. "We biked over to check it out, and by the time we got there, the sculpture had been wrapped in blue tarp by the NYPD, and then it was swiftly removed," said Kyle Depew, a member of the collective. "We were never actually able to see the bust with our own eyes. We were inspired  to do what we do best, which is light projection to pay tribute to the work that these anonymous artists had done in creating the sculpture and to further the conversation, to further the story and the discussion about Edward Snowden."

Grayson Earle, another member of the group, says the purpose of the projection was to get photographic proof of it, not to have it up for any extended period of time.