An elderly man and two youths have allegedly stolen a controversial 100-kilogram sculpture that was on display at Sacred Heart Cathedral, Bendigo. Source: ABC News.
At nearly 2 metres tall, the statue named Transcendence was carved from a century-old pine tree, and depicts a naked man and woman.
It was part of a temporary art installation inside the cathedral and is one of five sculptures on display across Bendigo, all carved from the same tree.
Victoria Police alleged the statue was stolen on Saturday and said there were three suspects.
“The offenders used a trolley to wheel a large sculpture out of the property,” a police statement said.
“A witness followed the males and observed them load the sculpture into a white van. The offenders are described as one elderly male and two youths.”
The sculpture was found yesterday morning, dumped and damaged – without its veil – at St Killian’s Church, a short distance from the cathedral.
The statue’s presence reportedly upset some parishioners, who objected to an “occult element” in the artwork’s inspiration.
Sandhurst Bishop Shane Mackinlay said the reference was never made inside the church, but on the artist’s website, and had since been removed.
“This possibility is something that we take extremely seriously,” he said.
Artist Ben Wrigley said he could not quite fathom the reaction to Transcendence, a work he described as the “transcendence of being bound by the dense material world”.
UPDATE:
Sandhurst Bishop Shane Mackinlay has issued the following statement regarding the art installation at Sacred Heart Cathedral:
“Around a month ago, various people brought to the Diocese’s attention the possibility that there may have been a reference to an occult element in the description of the inspiration for the artwork currently installed in Sacred Heart Cathedral.
“This possibility is something that we take extremely seriously. The wording that prompted these concerns was not included in the information provided to the Diocese prior to the artwork’s installation and is not part of the signage accompanying the artwork itself. The wording was only present on the website of the overall project.
“In order to avoid any further confusion or concern about the artwork’s inspiration, the artist removed this wording from the website.
“The piece is a temporary installation that is clearly presented as an artwork rather than as a devotional item. It is a significant distance from the sanctuary and is not part of the religious symbolism of the Cathedral.”
FULL STORY
Three accused of stealing sculpture from Catholic Sacred Heart Cathedral in Bendigo (By Emile Pavlich and Anna McGuinness, ABC News)
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Catholic parishioners demand immediate removal of ‘non-Christian’ statue (Bendigo Advertiser)
