2021 - Vancouver - Monument to East Van by Ken Lum
Wandering the streets of Vancouver's Eastside.
A Monument to East Van by artist Ken Lum is located at the corner of Clark Drive & East 6th Avenue in East Vancouver.
The piece was commissioned by the City of Vancouver as one of the legacy projects around the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The East Van cross is a familiar symbol, especially for anyone who grew up in the city or moved to East Vancouver later in life.
Shaped like a crossword where the A intersects East and Van, it has come to represent the east side of town and the arrival of this sculpture has helped to solidify this as the official symbol.
The East Van Cross was traditionally the work of graffiti artists, said to express the "marginality and defiance" of East Vancouver residents.
The design for the “East Van Cross” has circulated around the Vancouver for many years, dating as far back as the 1940s. This particular piece of art was erected , as a homage to the city artist Ken Lum grew up in.
The Monument to East Vancouver is 17 meters (57 feet) tall and constructed from mixed materials - a combination of concrete, steel, aluminum, impact modified acrylic and LED Illumination.
The monument faces downtown Vancouver, the centre of the city and at night, the LED lights up like a beacon, calling people back (or welcoming them to) the East Side.
ABOUT KEN LUM
The artist is a Chinese-Canadian whose work has been shown in Galleries around the world. Lum spent several years working at the University of British Columbia and he is currently the Presidential Professor of Fine Arts at the University of Pennsylvania.
Funding for this project was part of the Olympic and Paralympic Public Art Program, and the piece is owned by the city.
It seems fitting the current location of this sculpture is in the process of being developed. While there is a possibility for the sculpture to remain in place, it could soon be partially blocked by a new building.
The sculpture will likely be moved from its current location, much like many of the city’s residents who are forced to relocate as the city grows.
2021 - Vancouver - Monument to East Van by Ken Lum
Wandering the streets of Vancouver's Eastside.
A Monument to East Van by artist Ken Lum is located at the corner of Clark Drive & East 6th Avenue in East Vancouver.
The piece was commissioned by the City of Vancouver as one of the legacy projects around the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The East Van cross is a familiar symbol, especially for anyone who grew up in the city or moved to East Vancouver later in life.
Shaped like a crossword where the A intersects East and Van, it has come to represent the east side of town and the arrival of this sculpture has helped to solidify this as the official symbol.
The East Van Cross was traditionally the work of graffiti artists, said to express the "marginality and defiance" of East Vancouver residents.
The design for the “East Van Cross” has circulated around the Vancouver for many years, dating as far back as the 1940s. This particular piece of art was erected , as a homage to the city artist Ken Lum grew up in.
The Monument to East Vancouver is 17 meters (57 feet) tall and constructed from mixed materials - a combination of concrete, steel, aluminum, impact modified acrylic and LED Illumination.
The monument faces downtown Vancouver, the centre of the city and at night, the LED lights up like a beacon, calling people back (or welcoming them to) the East Side.
ABOUT KEN LUM
The artist is a Chinese-Canadian whose work has been shown in Galleries around the world. Lum spent several years working at the University of British Columbia and he is currently the Presidential Professor of Fine Arts at the University of Pennsylvania.
Funding for this project was part of the Olympic and Paralympic Public Art Program, and the piece is owned by the city.
It seems fitting the current location of this sculpture is in the process of being developed. While there is a possibility for the sculpture to remain in place, it could soon be partially blocked by a new building.
The sculpture will likely be moved from its current location, much like many of the city’s residents who are forced to relocate as the city grows.