The biggest secret in the VI: Who did the public artworks on display?
It was on February 16, 2017 that our newsroom first wrote an article about the artwork that had popped up on utility poles and trees around Tortola. The artwork included displays of fishes, birds, cats, the sun and even an 'I Love BVI' in the shape of a heart.
In February, when we contacted the utility companies- mainly the BVI Electricity Corporation- they confirmed that no one had sought or was granted permission to use their poles for the display.
The City Manager, Mrs Janice Brathwaite-Edwards, said then and now she is "not aware of any application made to my office as the closest one to the City is on display at the Prospect Reef Roundabout."
A call placed on July 3, 2017 to the Chief Planner of the Territory, Mr Gregory W. Adams, whose Town and Country Planning Department oversees the issue of signage in the Territory, confirmed that to date no permission was granted to any company or individual to display the artworks throughout Tortola on public spaces.
Nobody knows; Are they Demonic?
When asked if it was ever brought to his attention who was responsible, Mr Adams said, "no." In addition, Public Works Department Deputy Director Jose C. B. de Castro also confirmed that he is not aware who placed the artworks around Tortola.
The artworks popped up on the main island of Tortola from January of this year; however, there are none reported on Virgin Gorda, Jost van Dyke or Anegada on the sister islands.
So the person/s or company who did the artwork and also erected them throughout Tortola remains the biggest mystery since the disappearance of Malaysia Flight 370 in 2014.
One man of the cloth, Bishop John I Cline of the New Life Baptist Church in Duff's Bottom, has also claimed that the signs which display cats, fish, suns, and hearts, among other symbols, should come down as they are demonic.
After our article in February 2017 social network was on fire with some residents claiming “Looks like witchcraft to me! When they went up 'ah set ah ting' start to happen," one person posted. Another posted on Facebook in February, “So ironic how after they went up, a lot of stuff started to go south.”
To date, most if not all the art signage are still up and Mr Adams said in March 2017 to the local media that the Department is not primarily concerned about who is behind the artworks, but rather, "what protocols the Department need to apply."
Our investigative reporters are on the case trying to unearth who is responsible for the artworks and to crack 'Nature’s Biggest Secret’.
40 Responses to “The biggest secret in the VI: Who did the public artworks on display?”
I'm trying to understand the other point of view because they seem totally harmless to me.