Vancouver artist installs haunting World Cup sculpture near Science World
Guerrilla artist Lupo's new piece reflects on global problems amid FIFA celebrations: a child overlooking a blood-red world.
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An eye-catching sculpture has appeared near Science World, offering a darker perspective on Vancouver's World Cup moment.
The artist, who goes by Lupo, installed a guerrilla piece depicting a young boy sitting on the edge of a wall overlooking the water. The child is looking down at the world rendered in inky red with blood dripping down his legs. The message, filmed in a video Lupo posted online: "Dear World. We gotta do better."
Lupo typically creates sculptures and leaves them in public places to honor loved ones lost to overdose, suicide, and systemic violence. The pieces, tagged #belovedghosts, are made as a way to make grief visible.
"Once I've made it and it's out there, it belongs to everyone else. This is our community, it belongs to the community as well," Lupo explained in a previous interview.
While Vancouver residents are enthusiastic about the World Cup, the sculpture reminds viewers that the world faces countless problems beyond the tournament. The installation sits in stark contrast to the FIFA celebration and transformation happening at nearby Science World, which has been decorated with full World Cup tributes.