Jhb art gallery suffers huge loss
The Johannesburg Art Gallery (JAG) has again been the target of thieves with the theft of three valuable bronze artworks on 25 September. The stolen works are "King of the Universe" by Ernest Ullman, "Mourning Women" by Sydney Kumalo and "Peter Pan" by Romano Romanelli.
Staff at the gallery discovered the break-in to the Contemporary Store of the Johannesburg Art Gallery and after a quick inventory it became evident that three bronze sculptures had been stolen. Two other bronze sculptures were found on the floor, wrapped and ready to be moved.
The police were called and a suspect has been apprehended. Further investigation by the SAPS Department of Endangered Species is currently under way and experts in the field have been consulted and are working together towards the recovery of the sculptures.
The Johannesburg Art Gallery appeals to the public to be on the lookout for the artworks which may turn up in scrap yards, pawn shops and even the black market.
Security will have to be improved
In January 2011 a rare Jules Dalou sculpture was stolen from the gallery, and has still not been recovered. Investigations regarding this sculpture have since been closed due to lack of evidence. To avoid yet another futile search, the gallery is urging anyone with information about the recent theft to come forward before all tracks of these works are also erased.
"We increased our security after the January theft, but it is clear that not only are we increasingly the target of thieves but it is also likely that their methods will get more sophisticated. To ramp up the security to the level recommended by experts it will cost in the region of R1,5 million and we urgently appeal to the public for any assistance in this regard," says chief curator Antoinette Murdoch.
Members of the public can contact the gallery with any further information on +27 (0)11 7253130.
