The Digital Orca

The Digital Orca, the pixelated killer whale of Vancouver

You are not seeing blurry: the sculpture standing before you is indeed pixelated. It is the Digital Orca, a digital killer whale installed near the Vancouver convention centre. The Vancouver audio-guided tour stops here to discover this original work that plays with the codes of the digital age by the water.

A work by Douglas Coupland

The Digital Orca is a 2009 sculpture representing a killer whale, by Douglas Coupland, a renowned Canadian artist and writer. Composed of cubes evoking pixels, it gives the impression of a digital image emerging in the real world. Installed near the convention centre, by the bay, it pays tribute to the killer whale, an emblematic animal of the west coast, in a resolutely contemporary language.

What to see

The sculpture surprises by its pixelated appearance, like an enlarged image out of a screen, set facing the bay. Seen from afar, it clearly draws a killer whale leaping out of the water; up close, it reveals itself as made of cubes. It is a playful and photogenic stop on the waterfront, a stone's throw from Canada Place and the convention centre.

Practical information

The Digital Orca lies near the Vancouver convention centre, on the waterfront, reachable on foot and by public transport. It is an open-air work, freely visible at all times, with no ticket office. On the level, it is discovered during a walk along the water, a stone's throw from Canada Place.

Who created The Digital Orca?

The Canadian artist and writer Douglas Coupland, in 2009; the sculpture represents a killer whale composed of cubes evoking pixels.

Why is the sculpture pixelated?

Its composition of cubes evokes a digital image emerging in the real world, playing with the codes of the pixel to represent a killer whale emblematic of the west coast.