Lenin and Mao sculpture sparks debate

RICHMOND, British Columbia, Dec. 28 (UPI) -- Officials in a Canadian town said an outdoor sculpture of Vladimir Lenin and a female version of Chairman Mao Zedong is stirring debate.

Richmond City Councilman Derek Dang said the stainless steel sculpture, Miss Mao Trying to Poise Herself at the Top of Lenin's Head, by Beijing brothers Zhen and Qiang Gao, has become the talk of the city's business district since it was installed there last week as part of the Vancouver Sculpture Biennale, the Vancouver Sun reported Monday.

"It certainly generates debate," Dang said of the sculpture featuring the Russian and Chinese communist leaders. "It is art and art generates conversation, and remember it's not going to be there forever."

The Vancouver Sculpture Biennale takes place every two years in Vancouver and surrounding towns and features public displays from about three dozen artists from all across the globe.

Dang said Richmond officials did not choose the specific pieces to be displayed in the city.

"When council decided to participate in the Biennale they didn't give us a catalogue to choose from and maybe that's a good thing," Dang said. "We got what we got."

"(Miss Mao) certainly has caused a lot of debate and evokes some strong emotions among people who remember those times," Dang said. "(The Gao brothers') inspiration and imagination is what makes it art."