Nieuwpoort –
Despite stricter security measures and the new location on the Fabreplein, vandals have once again managed to significantly damage the iconic artwork ‘Searching for Utopia’ – better known as the ‘Turtle of Fabre’ – in Nieuwpoort.
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You cannot miss it. Jan Fabre’s well-known artwork again shows clear traces of vandalism. Long, deep stripes on the gold leaf mar the image. It seems that vandals do not care about the camera surveillance. “We have indeed had to establish that people regularly climb on the turtle, and that leaves its mark”, says an angry mayor Geert Vanden Broucke (CD&V). “We even noticed that a vandal climbed onto the artwork with his bicycle and had himself photographed there. We will of course not stop there. The police tries to identify the perpetrators through the camera images and we also rely a bit on the social control of the residents in the apartment buildings around the square. Unfortunately, that does not prevent that there are still people who are not deterred by that. ”
Vandals run for costs
The mayor therefore calls on witnesses to immediately report everything to the police services. “At the time, we took measures to put a stop to vandalism. For example, it is forbidden to touch the artwork or to pollute the water around it. There are fines of 250 euros and whoever causes damage will have to bear the costs, ”says Vanden Broucke.
READ ALSO. Fabre’s tortoise has a hard time again
The city council purchased the artwork in 2003 during the first edition of Beaufort for 325,000 euros. It moved from the beach and the seawall to its new location on a plinth on Fabreplein after having been restored twice. The latest renovation, in which the statue was coated with gold leaf to protect it from the natural elements, cost the city council 140,000 euros at the time. “Anyone caught will therefore be able to dig deep into their wallet.”
READ ALSO. Jan Fabre’s tortoise moves to a new site
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