Digital Orca
{{Short description|Sculpture by Douglas Coupland in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada}}
{{Infobox artwork
| title = Digital Orca
| image_file = Digital Orca Vancouver.jpg
| caption = The sculpture in 2013
| image_size =
| alt =
| artist = Douglas Coupland
| catalogue =
| year = {{start date|2009}}
| material = {{Flatlist|
}}
| subject = Killer whale
| width_metric =
| length_metric =
| height_imperial = 25
| width_imperial =
| length_imperial =
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| dimensions =
| metric_unit = m
| imperial_unit = ft
| condition =
| city = Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| museum =
| accession =
| mapframe = yes
| mapframe-zoom = 13
| coordinates = {{coord|49.28977|-123.11679|display=inline,title}}
| owner = Pavco
| url =
}}
Digital Orca is a 2009 sculpture of a killer whale by Douglas Coupland, installed next to the Vancouver Convention Centre in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.{{cite web|title=Digital Orca|url=http://covapp.vancouver.ca/PublicArtRegistry/ArtworkDetail.aspx?FromArtworkSearch=True&ArtworkId=521|publisher=City of Vancouver|accessdate=December 21, 2016|archive-date=December 22, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161222151758/http://covapp.vancouver.ca/PublicArtRegistry/ArtworkDetail.aspx?FromArtworkSearch=True&ArtworkId=521|url-status=live}} The powder coated aluminium sculpture on a stainless steel frame is owned by Pavco, a crown corporation of British Columbia which operates BC Place Stadium and the Vancouver Convention Centre.
History
The sculpture was installed in 2009 and commissioned by the city of Vancouver.{{Cite web |last1=Mafi |first1=Nick |last2=Cherner |first2=Jessica |date=2016-01-15 |title=38 of the Most Fascinating Public Sculptures |url=https://www.architecturaldigest.com/gallery/11-most-fascinating-public-sculptures |access-date=2022-08-02 |website=Architectural Digest |archive-date=2021-12-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211229213258/https://www.architecturaldigest.com/gallery/11-most-fascinating-public-sculptures |url-status=live }}
In 2022, a group protesting the logging of old-growth forests in British Columbia spray painted landmarks around Vancouver, including Digital Orca.{{Cite news |last=The Canadian Press |date=2022-07-22 |title=Anti-logging protesters tag Vancouver landmarks |pages=A3 |work=The Toronto Star |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/2695809158 |access-date=2022-08-02 |id={{ProQuest|2695809158}} }}
Description
The sculpture is located at Jack Poole Plaza in Vancouver, Canada.{{Cite news |last=Conner |first=Shawn |date=2021-12-16 |title=Coupland's cute new pair targets deeper layers of 'collective psyche' |pages=A13 |work=The Vancouver Sun |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/2610675349 |access-date=2022-08-02 |id={{ProQuest|2610675349}} }} The sculpture depicts a killer whale created by black and white cubes,{{Cite news |last=Browne |first=Alex |date=2022-07-07 |title=White Rock examines use of public art to create more appealing spaces - Peace Arch News |url=https://www.peacearchnews.com/news/white-rock-examines-use-of-public-art-to-create-more-appealing-spaces/ |access-date=2022-08-02 |archive-date=2022-07-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220718061557/https://www.peacearchnews.com/news/white-rock-examines-use-of-public-art-to-create-more-appealing-spaces/ |url-status=live }} creating a visual effect as if it were a pixellated digital image. The sculpture has a steel armature and aluminum cladding.
Reception
It was described as "both beautiful and bizarre" in Architectural Design. John Ortved in Vogue said the statue "grapples with modernization and the digital age" by making the killer whale less scary.{{Cite web |last=Ortved |first=John |date=2017-09-23 |title=No Ticket Needed: A Tour of Vancouver's Public Art |url=https://www.vogue.com/article/vancouver-public-art-travel-tour |access-date=2022-08-03 |website=Vogue |language=en-US |archive-date=2022-08-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220803004150/https://www.vogue.com/article/vancouver-public-art-travel-tour |url-status=live }}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Portal|Canada|Visual arts}}
- {{Commons category-inline|Digital Orca|Digital Orca}}
- {{Cite web|url=http://www.vancouverconventioncentre.com/about-us/art-project/digital-orca|title=Digital Orca|publisher=Vancouver Convention Centre}}
{{Coal Harbour}}
{{Public art in Vancouver}}
Category:2009 establishments in British Columbia
Category:Aluminium sculptures in Canada
Category:Animal sculptures in Canada
Category:Outdoor sculptures in Vancouver
Category:Stainless steel sculptures
Category:Steel sculptures in Canada
Category:Tourist attractions in Vancouver
Category:Works by Canadian people
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