
An incident of vandalism has hit the Boston art scene, striking a unique outdoor exhibit that's part of the city's "Winteractive" lineup. The artwork on Washington Street, which cleverly uses a parked car with a satellite crashed upon it, was reported damaged earlier in the week. In what may at first glance have appeared as part of the act, a suspect maliciously dismantled a portion of the installation, sparking a search by local authorities.
The unexpected act left the Boston Downtown Alliance, caretakers of the exhibit, in a lurch, as they've been struck by a staffing shortage due to illness. "We have not yet had a chance to be in touch with the artist, but there is no damage to the satellite that would prevent its easy reinstallation when we have the staffing capacity to do so," a spokesperson said in a statement obtained by NBC10 Boston. The artwork, named "Alouette," is a tribute to a 1962 Canadian satellite, according to the creator Brandon Vickerd.
According to reports by Boston 25 News, the suspect remains at large after vandalizing the art piece. Described as donning a black and white hat, black face covering, black puffer jacket, jeans, and tan work boots, the perpetrator was last seen heading down Winter Street. The incident, which occurred around 10:15 a.m. Wednesday, was captured on surveillance footage showing the suspect tearing the satellite from the hood and dragging it along the ground.
Officers arrived on the scene at approximately 10:39 a.m., to find the bracket and mount of the satellite broken and stripped. The Boston Police Department has called upon the public for any information leading to the perpetrator. Brandon Vickerd, speaking to NBC10 Boston, expressed dismay at the vandalism but showed willingness to recreate the unique piece. "I'm always interested in creating new satellites, and new installations," he said. "Once we sort things out, we'll see what happens, and maybe we can do another crash of some kind."
As the search for the vandal continues, anyone with pertinent information is urged to contact Boston Police, with the hope of restoring "Alouette" to its former glory and maintaining the integrity of the city's artistic endeavors.