Penang covers up hole highlighted by Zacharevic

The hole decorated with a golden frame by well-known Lithuanian artist Ernest Zacharevic near the junctions of Jalan Nagore and Jalan Hutton, in George Town, Penang, has been covered up.

However, the frame remains untouched.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the square hole did not belong to the Penang Island Municipal Council (MPPP) but was under Indah Water Konsortium (IWK).

He said the council had been directed to cover up the hole for safety reasons.

"We are not afraid to admit our weaknesses or mistakes. We are not god. There is nothing to be ashamed off," he told a news conference at his Komtar office today.

Yesterday, Lim had also brought up the matter following reports about the decorated hole by the Chinese press.

The decorated hole was earlier thought to be a message by Zacharevic to the authorities but the artist, who created a stir with his murals in Johor Baru recently, has since clarified that it was just a piece of installation art to show people that beauty can be found in all kinds of places.

He said it was not a complaint to the authorities.

Lim said the state thanked Zacharevic for the art work.

"We will still take note, even if it was not meant to be a complaint," he said.

Zacharevic is famous for his murals and installation art pieces in various places in the Unesco world heritage city of George Town.

Last month, he attracted a controversy in Johor after his mural featuring a masked and knife-wielding Lego man waiting to mug a Lego woman with a Chanel bag did not go down well with the local council.

The Johor City Council City subsequently whitewashed the "crime-themed" mural despite a public outcry. – December 17, 2013.