When the director of Vancouver’s Access Gallery received a phone call from police late Friday night, she was alarmed — at first.
Saghi Ehteshamzadeh says the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) informed her there was someone in the gallery.
“I’m getting worried as the call goes on,” Ehteshamzadeh said. “I was thinking I had locked the door and had the alarm on. How could someone get in?”
According to the VPD, a caller reported seeing a person’s feet sticking out from behind a counter and believed medical assistance was needed.
When police couldn’t get in touch with the gallery, firefighters breached the door to gain entry.
But what they found inside was not a human at all.
The 911 call had been prompted by a sculpture: The Preparator by Alyssa Pierre.
The piece depicts an art preparator — sometimes referred to as an art handler — kneeling over a crate with their upper body disappearing inside.
“Every show that goes on display has one or many technicians creating the best display for the artwork, and it’s a work that a lot of times goes unnoticed,” said Ehteshamzadeh.
In this case, this unnoticed labour drew a bit too much attention. The break-in cost the gallery close to $1,000 to replace the lock and gate.
The director says this expense could have been avoided.
“One of the close friends of the artist lives across from the gallery. She comes and tells police that this is actually an artwork, and they don’t take her word for it. The work is featured on our website,” Ehteshamzadeh said.
She says a simple Google search could have helped police see no intervention was required.
“This situation is absurd and could be funny, but it has made us sit with harder feelings around,” she said.
“There are people who are actually deserving of this response, and they’re not receiving it. Yet those resources are being spent on non-emergencies.”
The gallery has filed a claim with the City of Vancouver and is waiting to hear back.
The Preparator is part of the PENDING exhibition currently on display. The gallery is working to raise funds for its 35th anniversary and invites people to come in and check out the piece, which will now be covered up at night to avoid future confusion.
