Detroit public art project seeks arsonist who torched installation

By Serena Maria Daniels DETROIT (Reuters) - An internationally acclaimed public art installation in Detroit released a video on Wednesday in an effort to find a suspect who may have suffered burns while torching the project's "Taxi House." It was the 12th time in 18 months that arsonists damaged or destroyed art installations in unoccupied houses at the Heidelberg Project, a two-square-block urban renewal and public art space that began in the 1980s. The video footage depicts an individual igniting the back of the Taxi House structure on Nov. 23 and knocked back by a burst of flame. The suspect is believed to have suffered burns to the face and possibly the upper body. Detroit firefighters extinguished the blaze, although the house sustained considerable damage. Investigators with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are reviewing the footage. Heidelberg organizers offered a $15,000 reward for information leading to an arrest or conviction of the person who burned the structure. Last December, "The Clock House" was consumed by fire. Other installations destroyed include the "Obstruction of Justice House," "House of Soul," the "Penny House," the "War Room" and the "Party Animal House." No arrests have been made in those fires. The Heidelberg Project installed solar-powered security cameras last summer after receiving donations following the previous fires. Few project houses remain after the blazes. Other installations were demolished by city order in 1991 and 1999. The project, founded by artist Tyree Guyton, displays found objects in homes around Heidelberg Street on the city's east side. The project aimed to reclaim a decaying neighborhood in Detroit. The city won court approval in November to exit the largest U.S. municipal bankruptcy. (Editing by Fiona Ortiz and Peter Cooney)