Update 4/14/22: Vancouver Police recovered Marie Khouri's sculpture that was stolen from B.C. Children’s Hospital last week. The sculpture is reportedly worth more than $45,000 and was taken from outside the hospital in the early hours of April 3. On the afternoon of April 14, officers tracked down the artwork in East Vancouver but no arrests have been made. VPD’s Property Crime Unit continues to collect evidence and while the investigation is still ongoing there are no further details are available at this time.
The original story follows below.
A piece of artwork donated to the BC Children's Hospital in Vancouver was stolen just a few weeks after being installed.
The work is a part of B.C.-based artist Marie Khouri's series called Vessels; they're bronze sculptures which appear somewhat like bowls. The piece at the hospital was installed in front of the hospital earlier this year, standing on a pedestal.
It was originally donated to the BC Children's Hospital Foundation as part of fundraising efforts in 2019. The person who purchased it has since donated back to the hospital to be displayed near the hospital's front entrance off of Oak Street. It was installed Feb. 25.
The hospital says it was stolen the night of April 3. The pedestal now stands empty.
"The stolen bronze sculpture was designed to be displayed outdoors in a garden, which is why it was installed outside of one of the hospital entrances," the states the hospital in a press release. "It was intended to create a small space of outdoor sanctuary, rest and reflection for children and families at the hospital."
Artwork is intended to help the healing environment at the hospital, they go on to say.
"This type of setting has been shown to positively impact a patient’s hospital experience, which can then contribute to their improved healing and recovery," they note.
Khouri's work is on display across Metro Vancouver, and around the world, with prominent large pieces displayed in New York, Hong Kong and the Presidential Palace in Djibouti. Another of her series of Vessels is to be displayed in Paris. Similar work to what was stolen has been on display in Vancouver; she's also the sculptor behind public Vancouver pieces like Nautica in the Olympic Village.
