The stolen work was part of The Riverbed installation and was engraved with the message “Love Yourself.” I know the details of the story.
He March 12, 2018an unusual robbery took place in the Gardiner Museum in TorontoCanada, when one of the pieces in the exhibition by the renowned artist Yoko Ono It was stolen in the middle of the afternoon. The work was a river stone with the phrase “Love Yourself” (love yourself) that was valued at $17,500. Despite the museum’s security measures, the thief managed to leave the place without being detected until some time later, when security cameras captured the moment of the robbery.
The exposition of the former couple John Lennontitled The Riverbedis an interactive installation that invites visitors to hold stones and reflect on the messages inscribed on them before returning them. However, on this occasion, a woman decided to take one of the pieces as if it were part of the artistic experiencewhich sparked a search by local police.
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What was the robbery of Yoko Ono at her exhibition?
The robbery occurred in broad daylight, around 5:30 p.m.in one of the rooms of the Gardiner Museum from Toronto. The installation The Riverbed It offered a unique experience for visitors, who could interact with the pieces of the work. Among these pieces, a series of river stones stood out in which Ono had written inspiring messages like “Love Yourself”. Instead of returning the stone, a woman decided to take it from the museum.
According to security camera images, the suspect was seen taking the stone calmly, without raising suspicions among other visitors. He was dressed all in black and had a red scarfa detail that would later be key in the investigation. Despite the presence of guards and security cameras, the woman managed to leave the museum without anyone noticing what happened at the time.
The most striking thing about the theft was that, due to the interactive nature of the installation, visitors were free to pick up and hold the stones, making it more difficult to identify when exactly the woman decided not to return it. It was not until later, when reviewing the security recordings, that those responsible for the museum realized what had happened.
It took several days for Toronto police to issue a statement on the matter. Once they realized the magnitude of the robbery, they spread images of the suspect on social networks and requested citizen collaboration to find her whereabouts. So far, there have been no concrete results in the investigation.
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What happened to the thief
After the robbery, Toronto authorities began an investigation to try to identify the person responsible. The woman, who according to witness descriptions was between 55 and 60 yearswas last seen walking south of Queen’s Parka park located in downtown Toronto, after leaving the museum with the stolen stone. Despite efforts to locate her, there was no significant progress in her search.
The police spread images captured by security cameras on social networks and local media, hoping that someone could identify the woman, who at all times was dressed in black and was wearing a red scarf. However, the public response has been limited and until now the thief remains unidentified.
Although the robbery has generated great media interest, authorities have not been able to determine whether the act was premeditated or spur of the moment. The interactive nature of the exhibition could have facilitated the theft, since the dynamic invited participants to physically engage with the pieces. This has led some to suggest that the theft was a spontaneous act, motivated by an emotional connection to the work.
Source: Ambito
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