Vandals attack artist’s images

THE artist behind a controversial series of installations in Waterford has put an act of vandalism against one of his pieces down to “porter rather than principle”.

Vandals slashed one of the large-scale images created by Austrian-born Gottfried Helnwein at John Roberts Square in the city centre sometime on Thursday night. The damaged picture was of a little girl lying on the ground, apparently dead, covered with blood.

It is one of 18 in an exhibition mounted by Mr Helnwein around Waterford’s public areas as part of the city’s Fringe Festival. Some of the images, which include portrayals of children carrying guns and in death-like poses, have stirred objection among locals.