VANCOUVER 鈥� Susanna Strem was stunned when she went to check on Space Venus, a four-metre, $2.8-million Salvador Dali sculpture that had garnered the admiration of countless passersby and provided the backdrop to countless selfies.
It had been vandalized, its golden egg ripped off its mooring and stolen.
鈥淚magine my reaction,鈥� the owner of Chali-Rosso Art Gallery on Howe Street said. 鈥淚鈥檓 in shock that it could happen here in Vancouver.
鈥淚t has been all around the world and nothing like this has happened.鈥�
Strem checked in on Space Venus, the fifth large-scale Dali sculpture she鈥檚 brought in for public display at considerable expense, about 11 a.m. each morning, to see that it was OK and to clean it up, if needed.
On Sunday, the golden egg that sat on the lower torso was gone.
鈥淭here is absolutely no value to the egg alone,鈥� she said.
鈥淭his is a senseless and selfish聽act on the part of the vandals.鈥�
Strem said she competes with major art centres around the world 鈥� New York, Mexico City, Paris, London, Stockholm 鈥� to bring the sculptures, owned by a Salvador Dali Society Foundation and insured by Lloyd鈥檚 of London, to Vancouver.
Space Venus is her favourite so far of the five she has exhibited on the same corner.
鈥淚t鈥檚 the most breathtaking, the best statement of fine art, of beauty.鈥�
The egg, if retrieved, can be reattached without causing further damage she said. She鈥檚 hoping it might have been kids who didn鈥檛 realize the statue鈥檚 value as art and that they might return it, or that the numerous video cameras at nearby businesses caught something.
鈥淪omeone must have seen something,鈥� she Strem said.
鈥淭his isn鈥檛 just a huge loss for the gallery, but for the entire city and the millions of [future] guests who will no longer be able to enjoy the intact sculpture.
鈥淪adly, it may also be the last time we are able to fund the presentation of a magnificent, original Salvador Dali sculpture to the people of Vancouver.鈥�
Space Venus was unveiled in May and has had its original contract extended past October into 2020.
