The Gao brothers sculpture in Vancouver has become the talk of the city. Good thing. That’s because the organizers of the Vancouver Biennale had little input into the choice:

The piece — Miss Mao Trying to Poise Herself at the Top of Lenin’s Head — was created by Beijing-based brothers Zhen and Qiang Gao. Their highly political installations, which include provocative depictions of Chairman Mao, are sometimes shut down by the Chinese government and their studios have been raided.

“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,” said Dang. “We got what we got.”

Giant Statue of Lenin and Mao the Talk of Richmond (Vancouver Sun)