Uploaded September 2017 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
A-maze-ing Laughter is a 2009 bronze sculpture by Yue Minjun, located in Morton Park in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
A-maze-ing Laughter was designed by Yue Minjun and installed in Morton Park (Davie and Denman) along the English Bay in West End, Vancouver in 2009. The patinated bronze sculpture, composed of 14 statues each about three metres tall and weighing over 250 kilograms, portrays the artist's own image "in a state of hysterical laughter". It was created as part of the Vancouver International Sculpture Biennale, which exhibits international contemporary works in public spaces. The sculpture was donated to the City of Vancouver by Chip and Shannon Wilson through the Wilson5 Foundation on August 11, 2012.
As part of the installation, an inscription carved into cement seating states "May this sculpture inspire laughter playfulness and joy in all who experience it."
A-maze-ing Laughter is a collection of 14 enormous bronze statues depicting a shirtless guy laughing hysterically. It was installed in 2009 in Morton Park in Vancouver, Canada, as part of the Vancouver International Sculpture Biennale which exhibits international contemporary works in public spaces. It has since become a permanent part of Vancouver’s landscape, and is one of the city’s most beloved public art piece.
A-maze-ing Laughter was designed by Chinese artist Yue Minjun, a leading figure in the Chinese art movement called Cynical Realism, which began in the 1990’s as a response to the suppression of political and artistic expression in China. The figures, measuring three meters tall, portrays the artist’s own image in exaggerated size with massive full-toothed grins. An inscription carved into the cement seating states "May this sculpture inspire laughter playfulness and joy in all who experience it.”
According to the agreement between the Biennale and Yue Minjun, the sculpture was supposed to stand until Dec. 31, 2011 after which it would be removed. But when the deadline approached, the city didn’t want it to go. The only way to keep the sculpture permanently at the location was to buy it at Minjun’s asking price of a whopping $5 million. The Biennale Foundation didn’t have the funds.
Seeing the response the statues generated, Yue Minjun dropped the price to $1.5 million in an effort to help Vancouver keep the work. The sculpture was later bought by Chip and Shannon Wilson through the Wilson5 Foundation and donated to the City of Vancouver, where it will continue to grace the Park and bring smiles to the thousands of people who visit the statue.
A-maze-ing Laughter is a 2009 bronze sculpture by Yue Minjun, located in Morton Park in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
A-maze-ing Laughter was designed by Yue Minjun and installed in Morton Park (Davie and Denman) along the English Bay in West End, Vancouver in 2009. The patinated bronze sculpture, composed of 14 statues each about three metres tall and weighing over 250 kilograms, portrays the artist's own image "in a state of hysterical laughter". It was created as part of the Vancouver International Sculpture Biennale, which exhibits international contemporary works in public spaces. The sculpture was donated to the City of Vancouver by Chip and Shannon Wilson through the Wilson5 Foundation on August 11, 2012.
As part of the installation, an inscription carved into cement seating states "May this sculpture inspire laughter playfulness and joy in all who experience it."
A-maze-ing Laughter is a collection of 14 enormous bronze statues depicting a shirtless guy laughing hysterically. It was installed in 2009 in Morton Park in Vancouver, Canada, as part of the Vancouver International Sculpture Biennale which exhibits international contemporary works in public spaces. It has since become a permanent part of Vancouver’s landscape, and is one of the city’s most beloved public art piece.
A-maze-ing Laughter was designed by Chinese artist Yue Minjun, a leading figure in the Chinese art movement called Cynical Realism, which began in the 1990’s as a response to the suppression of political and artistic expression in China. The figures, measuring three meters tall, portrays the artist’s own image in exaggerated size with massive full-toothed grins. An inscription carved into the cement seating states "May this sculpture inspire laughter playfulness and joy in all who experience it.”
According to the agreement between the Biennale and Yue Minjun, the sculpture was supposed to stand until Dec. 31, 2011 after which it would be removed. But when the deadline approached, the city didn’t want it to go. The only way to keep the sculpture permanently at the location was to buy it at Minjun’s asking price of a whopping $5 million. The Biennale Foundation didn’t have the funds.
Seeing the response the statues generated, Yue Minjun dropped the price to $1.5 million in an effort to help Vancouver keep the work. The sculpture was later bought by Chip and Shannon Wilson through the Wilson5 Foundation and donated to the City of Vancouver, where it will continue to grace the Park and bring smiles to the thousands of people who visit the statue.
