Mattress Vancouver

If you happened to go for a beach stroll along English Bay last Friday morning, you may have noticed some extra  “wrapping” around some of Vancouver’s public sculptures. Five figures were wrapped with plastic ribbon to announce the sad, expected departure, of the 40 pieces of public art involved in the Vancouver Biennale outdoor exhibit. The ribbon was labeled with the phrase,  ”It’s not the same without sculpture.” The situational irony is heavy, as Vancouverites will have to say goodbye to a number of massive sculptures that shared their community for the last two years.

Commissioned for the years surrounding the Olympics, the Biennale art added a sense of humour and fun to a city that has often been lacking in both of these areas. The project reflected cultural influences from around the world by using the work of 37 artists from 15 different countries. The pieces lined our beaches, sat in public parks and spoke to us from the sidewalk.

Now with the project timeline coming to a close, the sculptures that many of us enjoyed on a daily basis are being auctioned off. The proceeds, collected from the sale of the current figures, will finance future projects, educational packages and artists in residence programs.

Simmons Mattress Gallery’s three favourite pieces from the first round of sculptures were:

1. King and Queen – by Sorel Etrog

(obviously we have a passion for king and queen size beds)

2. Pillows – by Liu Jianhua

(nothing goes better on top of a Beautyrest than a pillow)

3. We, 2008 – by Jaume Plensa

(love the ‘white man’ at Sunset Beach)

For a full map, download this helpful pdf. Enjoy the art while it lasts Vancouver.

"A-Maze-Ing Laughter" By Yue Minjun