Vandals target butterfly sculpture on new Bradford art trail
An art trail in Brontë country has been targeted by vandals just days before it is due to open to the public.Two marble butterflies, part of an installation of dozens of similar sculptures at Penistone Hill Country Park, near Haworth, have been smashed.Shanaz Gulzar, creative director of the Bradford City of Culture 2025 team which is behind the trail, said it was "sad and disappointing," however she said they would still open to the public on 24 May.The incident has been reported to West Yorkshire Police and the force has urged anyone with information to contact officers.
The butterflies were part of the Wild Uplands arts trail in the beauty spot – a temporary exhibition due to run until October.Commissioned by Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture, the trail features the works of four artists.Ms Gulzar said: "It is sad and disappointing that these beautiful stone butterflies, a symbol of resilience and renewal, hand-crafted to draw people to our historic landscape, have been destroyed by thoughtless individuals."The damaged sculptures near a pond have already been repaired, she added."Security has been further increased on the site to prevent further acts of vandalism," she added.
Ecologist Bill Lever, 43, walks his dogs near the site where the attack happened, and said he saw news of the vandalism on a community Facebook group."It stated there was some damage, so we came up to have a look. "We couldn't see it. Not sure if it had been cleaned away or not."He said the sculptures looked "really and nice" and the trail was a "fantastic idea"."The materials are quite inspiring really and fit the landscape well," he added.A spokesperson for West Yorkshire Police said: "We are aware of the incident and are investigating a report of criminal damage."They asked anyone who witnessed vandalism to contact the Keighley Neighbourhood Policing Team.
The 75 butterflies are the work of Pakistani-born artist Meherunnisa Asad in collaboration with Peshawar-based atelier Studio Lél, known for reviving centuries-old stone-work techniques.They have been carved from pink marble sourced from Pakistan, and are inspired by Bradford's stories of migration and movement and the resilience of its natural landscape.Other artists involved include Steve Messam who has created a tower clad in sheep's wool as a tribute to Bradford's industrial past.When the planning application was considered last year by Bradford Council there was one objection over concerns it would be targeted by vandals.However, planners said that was not a valid reason for a refusal of a part of Bradford's City of Culture celebrations.
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