THE young woman in the bronze sculpture, "Girl at a Telephone Booth", may soon return to her place at the entrance to Shanxi Nanlu Metro Station after "disappearing" for nearly four years.

Sculptor He Yong has released drawings of three new designs, hoping to create a more perfect piece of public sculpture and to remind residents of the "lost" sculpture.

The sculpture's disappearance has never been solved. People tend to believe that it was stolen for the bronze, worth thousands of yuan. Other public sculptures around the city have also suffered damage.

Xie Lin of the Urban Sculpture and Landscape Department under Shanghai's Urban Planning Administration Bureau is also upset about the fate of a four-metre high sculpture project on grassland below the Yangpu Bridge.

The sculpture, designed by Yang Dongbai, contained elements that echoed the steel lines of the cables on the Yangpu Bridge but all the lines were stolen.

"We planned to take pictures of the project for competitions," Xie said. "But from whatever angle we took pictures of the work, the original look could not be restored."

Rampant vandalism

Similar vandalism has been inflicted on many other public sculptures, such as the work depicting a woman leaning on a bicycle in Huaihai Park, a realistic portrait of urban life in downtown Shanghai. Others in this series of sculptures can be found in Xujiahui, the Jing'an Temple area and in other commercial centres.

In the case of the Huaihai Park sculpture, the spokes on the women's bicycle wheels have been stolen and replaced many times. Finally, a heavier and stronger structure was installed.

Public sculptures are not the only structures in the city that are routinely damaged. Most of the destruction is done by thieves who steal the metal used in the construction. "The iron manhole covers above the underground sewerage system are often stolen," Xie said. "The bronze that goes into the sculptures is worth more than the iron manhole covers and criminals also steal electric cables for their copper."

Fibreglass was commonly used in public sculptures some years ago but it was found to break easily and colours faded quickly on it. A fibreglass sculpture may last only 10 years.

A group of such works by a primary school near the Jing'an Temple has been repainted many times to no good effect.

Children also touch the sculptures in residential communities and cause unintentional damage.

Bronze and granite are ideal material for sculptures but bronze attracts thieves. "Artists can take these elements into consideration," said sculptor Tang Shichu from Shanghai Oil painting and Sculpture Institution. "But their destruction can hardly be prevented. The thieves use ladders and hammers."

One of the problems lies in the public's lack of respect for and understanding of art. Artists become annoyed when they see advertising posters on their works. "The glue really sticks to smooth surfaces, making them difficult to remove," said Tang. Or vandals put their own "creative" touches to public sculptures, adding spectacles or beards.

"It makes me bitter. Artists welcome viewers' contact with sculptures but when people climb on them and make humiliating postures it shows disrespect for culture and art," Tang said.

An administrative regulation covering public sculptures in the mid-1990s made landlords responsible for cleaning and maintaining the sculptures on their properties.

But this was difficult to enforce and as many art works are in public spaces, anyone can approach and damage them.

When Xie accused the local government administration of failing to protect the sculpture below the Yangpu Bridge, the officials argued: "How can we send someone to watch over it day and night, all year round?"

There is also no specific punishment set out in the regulation for anyone caught damaging public sculptures.

Another problem is who is to cover the cost of maintenance and restoration?

Shanghai started a systematic construction of public sculptures in the early 1990s. The statue of Marshall Chen Yi on the Bund and large-scale abstract works by the Nanpu and Yangpu Bridges were all key projects in the 1990s.

Later, some sculptures were re-located as streets were widened and others were removed. "It is unavoidable that some sculptures no longer fit with the contemporary aestheticism," Tang said. "But of course we would like to have works with a long artistic life."

More creative pieces

Aesthetic considerations aside, the city is now adopting various measures to initiate the creation of good sculpture, either by encouraging local artists to create original pieces or by purchasing masterpieces from foreign artists. Real estate companies have contributed by purchasing copies of important works such as Rodin's "The Thinker".

"Whoever bought it, the work belongs to the city as long as it stays here," Xie said.

Sculptures, like parkland, soften the city scene and provide a contrast to the steel and concrete jungle that is modern Shanghai. Public art adds cultural value and humanizes the city. "We welcome works that agree with people's aesthetic values, but artwork also has to steer public aestheticism," Xie said. "Projects that people don't understand may not be bad. We want to be open and tolerant."

In previous years, public sculptures were often used to fill in the little spaces left after a construction project was completed and provided limited creative space in which artists could work. Now the Urban Sculpture and Landscape Department has devised an ambitious plan for the erection of many key sculpture projects.

Public space along the Huangpu River and Suzhou Creek and the area beside Yan'an Lu are all being considered.

New technologies may also be developed to prevent destruction and damage to public sculptures. High bases and grassland may be utilized to separate some works from too-close contact with spectators and audio or visual alarm systems may also have to be installed.