It’s often said the purpose of public art is to spark conversation, and if that’s the case, one Vancouver sculpture is certainly working as intended.
The piece, Trans Am Rapture by artist Marcus Bowcott and Helene Aspinall, consists of five crushed cars atop a cedar tree trunk, and from 2015 to 2021, it resided on a Quebec Street median near Science World.
It’s now set to be installed at the south end of the Granville Bridge, between 4th and 5th avenues within Granville Loop Park.
That new location has some neighbours talking, and they don’t have many nice things to say.
“I was horrified and very angry, and I spent the first day crying, actually,” said Darlene Forst, who has started a petition opposing the new location.
“I was very upset because I happen to live across the street from it, and it’s going to dominate anything I look at out the windows in my place.”
The 10-metre sculpture was previously known as Trans Am Totem, and, according to the artists, is meant as a commentary on “the cycle of production and consumption” and the role of the car in our culture as “a manufactured want and symbol of extremes; practicality and luxury, necessity and waste.”
Originally installed as a part of the Vancouver Biennale, the sculpture was meant to be temporary but became a permanent part of the city’s collection following a donation from billionaire Chip Wilson.
It was removed in 2021 for restoration after concerns about “structural integrity,” “coating deterioration,” and “bird infestation.”
“In its previous installation, it had a lot of problems with birds nesting, guano dropping everywhere, making the area around it toxic, and that’s going change a large part of the park,” Forst said.
Forst said the city’s public art committee had previously rejected the sculpture as a donation, but that the previous mayor and council ” intervened inappropriately and forced acceptance of the donation.”
She said the city hadn’t notified or consulted with neighbours about the plan to install it in the new location.
“It dominates whatever space it’s in. This is a residential neighbourhood, it’s a family-friendly neighbourhood, and if they were to put a piece of public art in this park that was very welcoming and friendly, that would be appropriate,” she said.
“This is an in-your-face statement, edgy piece that’s very mechanical and honestly, I think, frightening to walk under.”
As of Monday, Forst’s petition had attracted 220 signatures.
In a statement, the City of Vancouver said its public art team had reviewed a number of city-owned sites for the sculpture’s relocation in collaboration with the artists and the donor.
That process included “a review by staff, the artists, as well as input from the local First Nations for all projects,” it added.
“The goal is to ensure that installations meet safety, accessibility, technical, and cultural requirements. Site integration, including impact on site lines and green space, is also considered. ”
The city said it intends to have the installation complete by the end of summer.