Hundertwasser Art Centre pleas for return of stolen sculpture 'no questions asked'
A wooden sculpture by artist Karin de Beer was stolen from the Hundertwasser Art Centre in Whangārei. The gallery is appealing for its return with a 'no questions asked' policy, noting the theft appeared to be premeditated.
Why it matters
The theft of public art impacts local cultural heritage and the ability of artists to showcase their work to the community.
An outdoor sculpture has been stolen from the Hundertwasser Art Centre in Whangārei and if returned the gallery says there'll be no questions asked.
Police said the outdoor sculpture Tiori Toru has been missing for about a week and was removed from the centre's grounds at about 3.15am on Monday 24 August.
The wooden sculpture made by local artist Karin de Beer is approximately 1.4m x 600mm and is inlaid with glass birds.
Hundertwasser Art Centre director Joost de Bruin told Checkpoint the centre's outdoor sculpture exhibition had six sculptures.
De Beer's work is made of pohutukawa wood, he said.
"So it's a wood slab that was mounted onto a rock and that rock was concreted to the ground. Now the pōhutukawa slab has been taken, the rock was still there when we found it and somebody somehow managed to get the slab off the rock."
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