City Hall's 12th Avenue entrance

City to identify new site for Trans Am Rapture public art installation

July 30 2025 –

The City of Vancouver is ceasing work on the reinstallation of Trans Am Rapture, a public artwork, at its originally planned location at the south end of the Granville Bridge, between West 4th and West 5th Avenues.

The decision was made by the City Manager’s Office following further consideration of the size and scale of the artwork in relation to the site. City staff have been asked to revisit previously assessed locations and explore potential new ones that can better accommodate the artwork.

While the Trans Am Rapture will not move forward at the south end of the Granville Bridge, the existing concrete pad at the site will be repurposed to support a future, smaller-scale public art installation. 

More information will be shared as planning for a new location progresses.

We acknowledge the work undertaken by all involved to site this art and remain committed to celebrating Trans Am Rapture – an iconic, local public artwork – as we work toward identifying a new location for its reinstallation. 

Learn more about the City of Vancouver’s Public Art Civic Program:
Public art | City of Vancouver

Background

  • Trans Am Rapture (formerly named Trans Am Totem), is a public art piece by artists Marcus Bowcott and Helene Aspinall. 
  • The artwork was originally installed on a temporary basis along Quebec Street at Millross Avenue as part of the 2014-2016 Vancouver Biennale  (not affiliated with the City of Vancouver Public Art Program).  
  • Thanks to the generosity of the Vancouver Biennale and local philanthropists Chip and Shannon Wilson, the artwork was gifted to the City of Vancouver in 2019.
  • Weighing over 25,000 pounds and standing 33 feet tall, the artwork is composed of five salvaged cars stacked atop a massive cedar trunk.
  • Trans Am Rapture is a thought-provoking commentary on consumerism, environmental degradation, and the tension between urban life and the natural world.