HK$6.7m to fix damage from Chanel logo stunt? That's surreal, artist says

A French artist who daubed a dripping, black Chanel logo on the outer wall of Chater House above the window of a Giorgio Armani boutique disagreed with prosecutors who said that part of the facade must be replaced at a cost of HK$6.7 million.

Christophe Schwarz, who goes by the name Zevs, pleaded guilty to one count of criminal damage before acting Principal Magistrate Bina Chainrai in Eastern Court yesterday.

A professional cleaner hired by Giorgio Armani Hong Kong to remove the Chanel logo was unable to wash it off, prosecutors told the court. The affected facade must be replaced at an estimated cost of HK$6,746,000.

The 31-year-old graffiti artist expressed surprise at the cost and called it 'surrealistic'. He had taken special care to use children's water-based paint that was easy to wash off. He had painted on more delicate surfaces in other cities and been able to remove his works, he said.

The court will tomorrow hear a police officer, an appraiser and a cleaner give evidence on the damage.

He claimed he had never faced charges for his artwork, but said he created his latest logo believing there was a 50-50 chance of being caught because of its prominent location.

At about 3am on Monday, a taxi driver saw a man in a yellow raincoat and a hat painting a Chanel logo on an outer wall of Chater House before leaving in a light-goods vehicle, the court was told.