Mozart statues stolen from Salzburg commemorative exhibition

A commemorative outdoor exhibition in Salzburg, Austria, has been disrupted after 210 golden plastic statues were stolen. The sculptures, created by German conceptual artist Ottmar Hörl, were part of a display by the International Mozarteum Foundation to celebrate the 270th anniversary of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's birth.

The 50-centimeter-tall polymer figures depict Mozart alongside his dog, Pimperl. The thefts occurred gradually over several weeks at the Mirabell Gardens; while the artist expected some loss, the scale of the disappearance led to police reports. Despite increased security measures, the thefts continued until nearly all the pieces were gone.

Because the manufacturer is currently on summer break and cannot quickly produce replacements, the foundation has faced difficulties maintaining the display. The stolen items had a projected commercial value of approximately 90 to 180 euros each. The artist noted that he had previously experienced a similar total loss of miniature sculptures during an exhibition in Germany.