Douglas Coupland seeks Van Gogh lookalike for giant sculpture

Douglas Coupland, the Canadian artist and author of the 1991 novel Generation X, has launched a public search for the best Vincent van Gogh lookalike. Until August 20, candidates can submit photos at iamvincent.com, where the public will vote. The winner, chosen by Coupland, will receive €5,000 and be invited to Vancouver to model for a giant 3D-scanned head sculpture measuring 3 by 2 meters, with a plaque bearing their name. This work continues Coupland's series of monumental heads, following Gumhead, a fiberglass self-portrait in Vancouver where the public sticks chewed gum. Coupland also plans further works dedicated to redheads, aiming to spark discussion on science, art, and globalization. He notes that red hair results from a recessive allele on chromosome 16 affecting the MC1R protein, calling it a recent successful human mutation present in 2% of the global population and up to 6% in Northern and Western countries. The bronze sculpture is intended to be eternal yet infused with a 21st-century spirit.