Vandals dump orangutan artwork into Yarra River at Docklands
Two artists are in shock after vandals threw their $30k bronze sculpture — meant to raise awareness of endangered animals — into the Yarra River.
Victoria
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Vandals have shocked the arts community by dumping a life-size sculpture of an orangutan into the Yarra River at Docklands.
The $30,000-plus bronze artwork was part of an exhibition at Point Park in Yarra’s Edge to raise awareness of endangered animals.
Sydney-based artists Gillie and Marc Schattner said they were heartbroken that their sculpture, Neroli the Sumatran baby orangutan, had been thrown into the river on Sunday.
“We are shocked and in disbelief that this type of vandalism could occur, and it breaks our heart to imagine the efforts that would have been taken to make it possible,” the duo said in a statement.
“Our exhibitions are quite often the first and only time that people get to experience these animals in their life, and instances like this, sadly make it less possible for that to ever happen.”
The incident was reported to Victoria Police.
Neroli, which has been retrieved from the water, is among 20 bronze animal sculptures at Point Park, including elephant calves, a Bengali tiger cub, and a zebra foal.
The exhibition, Wild about Babies, has been running since May in collaboration with World Wide Fund for Nature Australia and developer Mirvac.
The artists said they had dedicated “not only our art but our lives to giving a voice to the voiceless”.
“And it is in hope that when you come to visit our artworks in these urban spaces, that you get to connect a little more deeper to the natural world and in turn, you,” they said.
The artists requested for anyone with information about the incident to contact police.
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