Solving the case of a missing art piece has proven pricey for the City of Ottawa.
Kinetic Clock, a four-metre high, fire engine red installment that stood for 23 years on Sparks Street, mysteriously disappeared during the summer of 2013.
It was later discovered lying in a field with what the city’s art and heritage unit currently estimates as between $45,000 to $70,000 worth of damage.
The amount of damage has resulted in repair costs that are significantly higher than the original $36,800 price tag the city paid when it first commissioned the artwork in 1989.
The clock was designed by Andrew Stonyer and features a series of triangles that rotate to tell time. At the top of each hour the triangles align to create a rectangle.
For more than two decades it was a popular photo location for tourists and provided a creative way for visitors to Sparks Street’s pedestrian mall to tell time.
The city did not discover the artwork was missing until June 12, 2013 after a property owner on Sparks Street asked what had happened to it, said Rick O’Connor, a city clerk and solicitor, in an emailed statement.
A search operation ensued, and two months later the clock was discovered lying in a field owned by a tree farm more than 33 kilometres away from its original location.
According to O’Connor, an employee of the Sparks Street Mall Authority and Business Improvement Area removed the art piece in April 2013, an act that he or she did not have the authority to carry out.
Sam Elsaadi, Chairman of Sparks Street BIA, says the clock had become a safety hazard and that his organization did notify the city at the time of its removal.
“The concrete (base) was damaged all the time,” says Elsaadi. “It was always broken up, it could be hit by trucks, snow removal, anything because it was close to the middle of the path.”
He says all of the damage to the artwork happened before it was transported and stated that the estimates from the city were not realistic.
“I don’t know what they’re (the city) talking about, the numbers are huge, it’s not big damage,” he says.
Elsaadi says he was also shocked by the amount of concern expressed about the piece and wants to assure people that it’s being looked after.
“Nobody should be upset with it because it’s in a safe place,” he says. “I don’t know why people say it’s lost or stolen. It’s in a city yard, not a dangerous place.”
O’Connor said that the city and Sparks Street BIA have begun discussing repairs to the clock and a new location with the artist.