More than 200 gold statuettes of Austria's most famous composer disappeared from his hometown of Salzburg, officials said Wednesday, leaving a tribute to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart on his 270th birthday considerably less crowded.
The Mozarteum Foundation on July 15 unveiled 320 statuettes, barely 50 centimeters (less than 20 inches) high, showing Mozart with his dog. They were designed by German conceptual artist Ottmar Hörl.
Within two weeks, more than 80 of the polymer figures had disappeared. By Wednesday, a total of 210 were missing.
"The worst thing for an artist is when his work dissolves,” Hörl told the German news agency Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa). He said he did not believe visitors stole the works but rather that it was an "organized theft.”
Hörl intended to sell the statues for about 100 euros ($114) once the exhibition was over, meaning whoever ran away with 210 mini-Mozarts has not become an overnight millionaire.
