English Bay Game

Starting from Denman Street at Davie

1. A-maze-ing Laughter
Yue Minjun (China), Patinated bronze

In “A-maze-ing Laughter” Beijing-based artist Yue Minjun depicts his own iconic laughing image, with gaping grins and closed eyes in a state of hysterical laughter.  These laughing figures are the signature trademark of the artist.  We see, but do not hear the laughter.  The scale is “un-naturally” large, exaggerated and excessive like the laughter.  Yue Minjun was a leading figure in what became to be known in the 1990’s as Cynical Realism, an artistic movement that emerged in China after the 1989 student demonstrations in Tiananmen and the suppression of artistic expression. Humor, cynicism, repetition and an emphasis on the individual are common characteristics of this artistic movement.

Continue your walk along Beach Avenue, next stop is at Sunset Beach Park, off Beach Avenue between Broughton and Jervis

Sunset Beach Park

2.    Engagement
Dennis Oppenheim (USA), Painted aluminum, steel, glass

The diamond ring, reflective of romantic unions and celebrating commitment and tradition, is re-conceptualized here in this monumental sculpture.  One of the most influential, innovative and respected artists working today, Oppenheim seeks to incite thought and engage dialogue via exaggeration and overstatement.

“Engagement” rises nearly 30 feet. Sitting on top of the rings where the diamonds would be traditionally, there are two translucent houses of plexiglass and aluminum, illuminated and precariously tilted away from each other.  Oppenheim often declines to interpret or explain his work, leaving the interpretation to the viewer.  The work was subsequently acquired by the Vancouver Biennale Legacy Foundation in 2007 as a gift to the citizens of Vancouver.  View the artwork illuminated at night!

Continue your walk down to the Sunset Beach; at the bottom of Jervis is sculpture #3

3.  217.5 Arcs x 13 
Bernar Venet (France), Corten Steel

 Venet illustrates the beauty, balance and plasticity of raw steel in his artistically mathematical manipulations of this industrial material. Nature, the universe, and life are all interconnected and explainable mathematically according to Venet. Venet’s massive work “217.5 Arc X 13” is part of his “arc” series, sculptures all made of corten steel beams.  In this work all beams are curved to the same degree and nested, balanced, and rest securely on the bow of the arc. The repeated thirteen resting curves give the piece a rhythmic feel that suggests movement. The raw, unpainted surfaces retain the natural color of the CORTEN steel- a rich red-brown rust color reflecting the materials interaction with natural elements, an “authentic” surface that Venet insists on.  This sculpture was acquired by the Vancouver Biennale Legacy Foundation in 2007.

The next sculpture is only two blocks away on Beach Avenue at Thurlow …

4.  We, 2008 (de-installed on June 29, 2011)
Jaume Plensa (Spain), Aluminum

This is one of the feature installations in the 2009-2011 Vancouver Biennale. A work that celebrates the linguistic diversity of the human race by putting multiple alphabets together on a single human form. Sitting proudly, without a face, the larger-than life figure is made up of characters from eight alphabets, Latin, Greek, Russian Cyrillic, Hebrew, Hindi, Japanese, Arabic and Chinese. Characters make up the skin of the body form and open for interpretation by a global and multi-lingual Vancouver audience. The 16 foot, painted stainless steel sculpture, draws us away from the daily distractions of a constantly bustling city and helps us appreciate the beauty of linguistic diversity. Plensa, who works both in Barcelona and Paris, is a widely acclaimed artist who has received numerous national and international awards and has exhibited in public museums globally.  The sculpture is lit from below at night, check out the night view.

As you walk along Beach Avenue, you can see the last sculpture you need to get to - a stunning stainless steel sculpture looking like wings of a big bird across the Bay on the south shore.  You need to get over there to complete your mission - you can walk across the Burrard Bridge and right on Chestnut Street or take the False Creek Ferries from the Aquatic Centre to Vanier Park.

Vanier Park

5.  Freezing Water #7 
Jun Ren (China), Stainless steel

Jun Ren draws his inspiration from pure forms, liquid water or mercury stopped in motion to reveal its shape as a drop or spill caught in the air.  Weighing 7 tons and 30 meter/98 feet wide with no hard edges, the form appears light and fluid.  Ren represents the energy and opportunity of the ‘New China’, he has become a respected sculptor of monumental and historical sculpture with works spanning cities throughout China. His older work embodies a spirit of heroism that reflects the political, economic, cultural and historical characteristics and contradictions that flow through this time of great transition in Chinese society.

Congratulation! You have now completed your mission! Double check all your answers and make sure you have completed your answer check.

Since you are in the area and if you are interested in space exploration and planetary system, the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre is worth a visit here in Vanier Park.  Learn about Space and the night sky through the Planetarium shows, live demonstrations, and interactive exhibit gallery. Next to the Space Centre is the Gordon MacMillan Southam Observatory, which allows star gazers to look through a 1/2 metre Cassegrain telescope on clear weekend nights.  

From Vanier Park, you get a great view of the North Shore Mountains and the north shore of English Bay.  Drop in at the Vancouver Maritime Museum at 1905 Ogden Avenue to learn more about maritime history, industry and technology of Canada.