A man who became trapped inside a notable piece of Edmonton public art made of large silver spheres was arrested soon after firefighters helped him escape the structure.
Edmonton firefighters were called to the Talus Dome sculpture around 8:30 p.m. Sunday after someone walking by noticed a strange sight.
A man was inside the mound of polished stainless steel balls with no way out.
Connor Schwindt said he was on a post-Easter dinner run past the sculpture perched on the edge of Fox Drive and the Quesnell Bridge, when he noticed a commotion.
Firefighters were attempting to extricate the man. Schwindt said he asked firefighters if it was a man or animal trapped inside.
When he learned that it was a person inside, he began documenting the incident on his phone and poked his head inside the sculpture for a closer look.
He said the man inside the structure was beginning to panic.
“It was kind of like watching a mouse fall into a bucket,” said Schwindt.
“He was just kind of running around inside of it starting to freak out because he couldn’t get out.”
A 26-year-old man is facing a mischief charge after being trapped inside a notable piece of Edmonton art after being rescued by Edmonton Fire Services. The video was shot by Connor Schwindt who posted it to his Instagram account (https://www.instagram.com/cwks/). The video has since gone viral.
Police say the man had climbed on top of the structure and became trapped inside soon after.
To extricate the man, firefighters had to cut into the structure and remove one of the balls, said Sarah Jackson, a spokesperson for Edmonton Fire Rescue Services.
Three crews, including a technical rescue team, were involved in the call, she said.
No injuries were reported.
Soon after the man slipped out of the sculpture, he was arrested.
Police say the man caused damage to several of the balls while climbing on top of the structure.
The 26-year-old was charged with one count of mischief over $5,000 then released, police said.
‘Even stranger’
Schwindt said his video of the incident has since gone viral, and it’s no surprise. The installation, often referred to as the Talus Balls, has proven divisive among Edmontonians for years.
“Seeing a guy trapped in there was strange but seeing the social media fallout is even stranger,” he said.
“I mean it’s so Edmonton,” he said. “How polarizing the Talus Balls are is already funny and to have some dude slip inside there … I just thought it was humorous.”
The Talus Dome, maintained by the Edmonton Arts Council, is part of the City of Edmonton’s Public Art Collection.
Constructed in 2011, the structure designed by California-based artists Benjamin Ball and Gaston Nogues cost around $600,000.
