UPDATE!: Canadian artist accused of altering Easter Island archeological sites - General Tiki

T Tikiwahine Tiki Socialite Victoria, BC Joined: Apr 09, 2003 Posts: 3295	T Tikiwahine Posted posted on Mon, May 2, 2005 9:57 AM Artist Bill Vazan, 71, had 36 rolls of film seized and was ordered to pay $5,000 for moving some rocks on Easter Island. Artist pays steep price for moving rocks Sue Montgomery CanWest News Service May 2, 2005 MONTREAL -- Bill Vazan is finding comfort in the familiar and sometimes irritating tasks of being a law-abiding Canadian. In a matter of days, the Montreal artist went from the surreal and unsettling situation of facing criminal charges for moving rocks in Chile, to the mundane task of filing his federal and provincial income taxes before tonight's deadline. After three court appearances on Easter Island, 3,600 kilometres off the coast of Chile, Vazan's lawyer managed to negotiate his client's way to freedom. "They didn't have a bona fide translator in court so I was getting things in a mangled way," said Vazan, who knows very little Spanish and legalese. And even when a deal was reached, a lawyer for the Chilean government was pleading with the judge to throw Vazan in jail. "I was afraid I'd be staying there longer," he said nonchalantly in a phone interview from his home. In the end, he was given a suspended sentence, but had to pay a $5,000 fine by getting a cash advance on his credit card, write an apology to four heads of government and is not allowed to return to Easter Island for two years. But what is more upsetting to the 71-year-old artist, is that all his work -- 36 rolls of film -- was seized. "I'm sad and dismayed it came to this," said Vazan, who has been home since Thursday. "I didn't think it would be as severe as it was. I think they wanted to make an example of me." On the evening of April 13, after 11 days in Chile, five or six burly police officers showed up at Vazan's guest house and crowded into his tiny room. "They were basically saying we suspect something and you better own up," Vazan said. "They looked in my bags and wanted my cameras. They didn't rough me up, although I could see the potential for that." The men finally left, after giving Vazan instructions to be at court at 9 the next morning. After a night spent worrying and wondering, Vazan went to court where he was appointed a lawyer. The charge was that he had moved rocks on archeological sites in the Rapa Nui National Park to form new figures for his photographs. Vazan blames the young local man he hired to work with him -- someone recommended to him by the guest house owner. The two men carried rocks over 100 to 200 metres and placed them in the shape of an octopus. "I trusted this man to help me," said Vazan, adding that after three days, the man decided he didn't want to do the work anymore. Vazan wonders if he knew they were doing something illegal. "Maybe I should have been thinking more or taking more precautions," he said. "I'm quite aware of the cultural and archeological significance (of the sites) and my work tries to make people aware of this, too." The helper was also charged, but Vazan doesn't know what the outcome was. The artist now is hoping to take his cameras -- all his equipment was returned to him -- to Namibia in southern Africa, or to Antarctica. Vazan has gained international acclaim for his land, sculptural and photo works, which was on display at Ottawa's National Gallery of Art and Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography until April 24. Â© Times Colonist (Victoria) 2005 [ Edited by: Tikiwahine on 2005-05-02 10:00 ]

Artist Bill Vazan, 71, had 36 rolls of film seized and was ordered to pay $5,000 for moving some rocks on Easter Island.

Artist pays steep price for moving rocks

Sue Montgomery
CanWest News Service

May 2, 2005

MONTREAL -- Bill Vazan is finding comfort in the familiar and sometimes irritating tasks of being a law-abiding Canadian.

In a matter of days, the Montreal artist went from the surreal and unsettling situation of facing criminal charges for moving rocks in Chile, to the mundane task of filing his federal and provincial income taxes before tonight's deadline.

After three court appearances on Easter Island, 3,600 kilometres off the coast of Chile, Vazan's lawyer managed to negotiate his client's way to freedom.

"They didn't have a bona fide translator in court so I was getting things in a mangled way," said Vazan, who knows very little Spanish and legalese.

And even when a deal was reached, a lawyer for the Chilean government was pleading with the judge to throw Vazan in jail.

"I was afraid I'd be staying there longer," he said nonchalantly in a phone interview from his home.

In the end, he was given a suspended sentence, but had to pay a $5,000 fine by getting a cash advance on his credit card, write an apology to four heads of government and is not allowed to return to Easter Island for two years. But what is more upsetting to the 71-year-old artist, is that all his work -- 36 rolls of film -- was seized.

"I'm sad and dismayed it came to this," said Vazan, who has been home since Thursday. "I didn't think it would be as severe as it was. I think they wanted to make an example of me."

On the evening of April 13, after 11 days in Chile, five or six burly police officers showed up at Vazan's guest house and crowded into his tiny room.

"They were basically saying we suspect something and you better own up," Vazan said.

"They looked in my bags and wanted my cameras. They didn't rough me up, although I could see the potential for that."

The men finally left, after giving Vazan instructions to be at court at 9 the next morning.

After a night spent worrying and wondering, Vazan went to court where he was appointed a lawyer.

The charge was that he had moved rocks on archeological sites in the Rapa Nui National Park to form new figures for his photographs.

Vazan blames the young local man he hired to work with him -- someone recommended to him by the guest house owner.

The two men carried rocks over 100 to 200 metres and placed them in the shape of an octopus.

"I trusted this man to help me," said Vazan, adding that after three days, the man decided he didn't want to do the work anymore. Vazan wonders if he knew they were doing something illegal.

"Maybe I should have been thinking more or taking more precautions," he said. "I'm quite aware of the cultural and archeological significance (of the sites) and my work tries to make people aware of this, too."

The helper was also charged, but Vazan doesn't know what the outcome was.

The artist now is hoping to take his cameras -- all his equipment was returned to him -- to Namibia in southern Africa, or to Antarctica.

Vazan has gained international acclaim for his land, sculptural and photo works, which was on display at Ottawa's National Gallery of Art and Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography until April 24.

[ Edited by: Tikiwahine on 2005-05-02 10:00 ]

Post #156219 by Tikiwahine on Mon, May 2, 2005 9:57 AM