Greenville Mayor Knox White said the city plans to keep a close eye on the ‘Wings of the City’ art exhibition at Reedy River Falls Park downtown after one of the sculptures was pushed from its pedestal in the early hours of June 12.
According to a city tweet, Parks & Recreation staff found the “Bernardo Oriental” sculpture lying on the ground.
Police are investigating and city workers are assessing the damage, according to city spokesperson Beth Brotherton.
Early this morning, Parks & Recreation staff discovered that Bernardo Oriental, one of the statues in the Wings of the City collection, was vandalized. @GvlPD is currently investigating and the City intends to prosecute those responsible.
1⃣of2⃣ pic.twitter.com/2bT0olm5rt
— City of Greenville (@CityGreenville) June 12, 2021
It took employees hours to reattach the statue, the city tweeted, and the crowd that had gathered to watch them work cheered as they finished.
The collection of nine bronze sculptures, weighing hundreds of pounds each, are the work of artist Jorge Marín, one of the most well-known figurative artists in Mexico. Marín’s work has been showcased in more than 300 exhibitions across Asia, Europe, and North and South America. This is the first time his work is on exhibit on the U.S. east coast, according to city officials.
Some in the community have criticized the sculptures as inappropriate and perverse.
