Artists ‘absolutely heartbroken’ after $60,000 bike-riding bear statue stolen from Melbourne laneway

The artists behind a beloved lifesize bear statue stolen from Melbourne's inner north say they are "absolutely heartbroken" that it has been "taken ... in such a violent way".

The brass statue, valued by police at $60,000, depicts a glasses-wearing bear in a suit and tie, riding a tandem bike with a guitar.

Police allege that around 4am on Wednesday, three offenders used an angle grinder to cut down Sparkly Bear. They then lifted it with a crane on to a truck on nearby Sydney Road, before fleeing the scene.

Sparkly Bear was installed in the laneway behind Barkly Square shopping centre in Brunswick in October 2018.

The artists Gillie and Marc Schattner, whose work has been featured in more than 40 cities, said they were "absolutely heartbroken".

"We poured so much love into this piece, and it was meant to belong in the public ... to know that someone has taken it in such a violent way is just devastating," they said.

"We truly believe that art has the power to change the way people engage with the world around them, and Sparkly Bear was created to do just that – bring a sense of wonder and delight into the everyday."

The statue is part of the Sydney-based duo's international art project Travel Everywhere With Love, which hopes to foster global unity. The project also features the famous interactive sculptures Paparazzi Dogman and Paparazzi Rabbitgirl, installed in New York City's Sixth Avenue.

"We designed it to create moments of connection, where people from all walks of life could come together and feel uplifted," they said.

Gillie and Marc told Guardian Australia they were open to remaking the statue if it was not returned.

"Public art is about giving something special to the people, and we'd love to see Sparkly Bear once again brightening up the streets and making people smile," they said.

The incident comes just months after a 1.5-metre gorilla statue – affectionately known as Garry the gorilla – was taken from a Melbourne retirement village. It was later found at a home in Reservoir after a police helicopter spotted it in the back yard .

Police are urging anyone who witnessed the Sparkly Bear theft, or those with footage or further information, to contact Crime Stoppers.