Reward offered after "senseless vandalism" of giant statue
An act of vandalism that is being treated as suspicious by local police has seen a beloved art installation destroyed in Mandurah, south of Perth.
Described as "thoughtless and selfish" by WA Premier Mark McGowan, the brazen act has caused a flood of disbelief and anger, with police offering a $25,000 reward for information that leads to a conviction.
The fire – which took place on Friday night – caused irreparable damage to Vivi Cirklestone, one of five wooden sculptures created by Danish artist Thomas Dambo and hidden throughout bushland in Mandurah, with a sixth installed in the Perth suburb of Subiaco.
Mourners gathered to leave flowers on the charred wreck of the popular sculpture, which is one of a handful of “protectors of the environment” built in the region as part of a cultural tourism project.
“The circumstances surrounding the cause of the fire are being treated as suspicious,” WA Police said in a statement. Mandurah Detectives and the Arson Squad are now working to find what sparked the fire that razed the installation.
Police also stated that an image doing the rounds on social media that showed the sculpture on fire had been accounted for and was not what it first appeared to many.
“The photograph that’s been distributed on social media actually was taken by the person who reported the fire to DFES and the person in the footage is one of his mates,” acting inspector Tom Tristram said.
The Giants of Mandurah took Danish artist Thomas Dambo hundreds of hours to complete and were launched in November as a free Australian-first exhibition.
“Me and my crew are obviously super sad to hear this news,” Dambo said.
“I feel it is probably done by a troubled person and is not the feeling of the general population”.
Premier Mark McGowan also weighed in on the incident, saying that he “hopes whoever is behind this thoughtless and selfish behaviour at some point reflects on the sadness they have caused, especially so close to Christmas."
“The sculptures aren’t just works of art, they are meant to be positive and fun attractions for families not just in Mandurah but across Perth and beyond. This is senseless vandalism. That’s all it is. And the victim isn’t just the artist but the community as well.“
Images: Facebook / Courtesy of Visit Mandurah