Teen Charged With Defacing Statues In Grant Park
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A 13-year-old boy has been arrested for allegedly defacing a popular art installation at Grant Park.
The boy faces multiple charges, including felony criminal damage to property, for allegedly tagging 18 of 26 life-sized human statues in the "Borders" art installation at Solti Garden, on the northwest corner of Jackson Drive and Michigan Avenue.
Each statue was spray-painted with similar lettering Friday night – in most cases, either the letters FEIN, or DNR, or both.
"It disgusts me," said Bob O'Neill, president of the Grant Park Conservancy. "Graffiti should not be taken lightly. I take it very seriously."
O'Neill helped bring the work to Chicago. He said the letters were as good as a signature, if the tagger's work already is in a police database.
The 26 statues are androgynous life-size human figures, made of half silver aluminum and half rusty iron. They're positioned standing, crouching, and sitting in the park.
They were created by Icelandic sculptor Steinunn Thórarinsdóttir, and have been on display at the park since August. They previously were displayed in New York, Dallas, and Seattle.
"This artist is from Iceland. She is donating these sculptures for us to have here for a year. They've been incredibly popular," he said.
O'Neill said he hopes the teen or his parents are forced to pay for cleaning up the graffiti.