Vancouver sculpture of red laughing man taken down
Posted May 3, 2023 11:22 am.
A sculpture of a large, bright red laughing man that’s been a fixture on Vancouver’s seawall since 2021 is being taken down.
According to Vancouver Biennale — a non-profit organization that helps organize public art installations in the city — “The Proud Youth” statue is being de-installed from May 3 to May 5.
On Wednesday, city crews, accompanied by a large crane, could be seen dismantling the sculpture that has been along the seawall in Vancouver’s Yaletown neighbourhood.
Designed by Chinese artist Chen Wenling, the 5.5-metre-tall sculpture features a naked man bending over while laughing atop a reflective platform.
“The red figure, naked and free, fully reveals his honesty and fearlessness. Simple and truthful, this work creates a direct communication between man and nature, and initiates a sincere conversation between people and society,” Vancouver Biennale’s website states.
Crews doing something to the big red smiling guy sculpture along the seawall in Yaletown pic.twitter.com/maSS2iuvt0
— Greg Bowman (@gregbowman_) May 3, 2023
The organization says Wenling named the fixture after the novel, The Smiling Proud Wanderer by Xiao Ao Jiang Hu.
