Thieves steal gold from art installation in France

PARIS, Feb 2 (Reuters) Thieves have stolen a 12-kg bar of gold from an art installation by a U.S. artist in Paris, the Fondation Cartier art centre said today.

The bar, which was placed in a large basin filled with black oil in the art work by Gary Hill, was stolen overnight from Wednesday to Thursday, a spokeswoman for the arts centre said.

''Nothing like this has happened here before,'' she said, giving no further details on the theft. An inquiry was under way.

A 12-kg bar is worth some 270,000 dollars at current gold prices of 645 dollars an ounce.

The gold bar, inscribed with the words ''For everything which is visible is a copy of that which is hidden'' was part of an installation featuring a video projection of a giant eagle locked inside a pylon.

The bird's image was reflected on the surface of the oil.

Reuters PDM VP0006