The Orcar is turning heads and changing minds about our relationship with nature
These in-their-own-words pieces are told to Patricia Lane and co-edited with input from the interviewee for the purpose of brevity.
Aaron Rosenberg engages the community to make transformative art. In March 2026, this young resident of Squamish, British Columbia, brought 30 people from his community together to build a life-sized, interactive, travelling model of an orca on the body of an old diesel truck. The Orcar has already inspired over 15,000 people to rethink their ideas about orcas and our relationship to nature and each other.
Tell us about your project.
The Orcar is 24 feet of steel, light and intention. From the outside, the whale sculpture catches the eye because it is large, beautiful and out of place as it sits on top of a diesel truck. At night, 7,000 LED bulbs light up mesmerizing patterns across its body.
What are you trying to say with the installation?
Hang off the frame inside and with 30 or so others there, develop a new awareness of its size. Listen to the heart beating and feel a breathy sensation from the materials blowing about inside. Read our prayer flags with messages like, “Orcas choose every breath,” and reflect on our shared dependency on clean air. Wave as we pass by; we........
