If you spotted a giant yellow mechanical-looking beast resting near the Fraser River recently, you should know that, no, the Autobots aren't invading Vancouver.
Sorry for the disappointment.
On the upside, the gargantuan canine-looking object is a piece of art called Queen BX1000, and it's the most recent installation by an artist known only as Junko Playtime.
The huge piece of art is made up of a wooden frame covered in car parts.
Ironically, perhaps intentionally, Queen BX1000 was put together without the aid of engines or motors.
"The installation was created without the aid of a motorized vehicle. All materials were collected within the city and transported to the site on makeshift bicycle trailer setups," states Junko in an Instagram post.
The piece, on a chunk of private land, has been standing in full view of commuters as they pass over the Fraser River on the Canada Line, though it's a little small and in the distance, as the lot it's in is covered by bushes.
However, the piece itself is not small; Junko took photos with the big yellow art machine, and using that as a reference it appears to be close to 15 feet high at the 'ears.'
In one post he shows how he collected the pieces from what appears to be a mechanic who has a lot of leftover bumpers from cab companies. He then piles it all onto a bike trailer and 'sneaks' into the lot.
Up until Queen BX1000, Junko had been working in Montreal, turning junk into robotic-looking beasts around town. He's been active since 2020 as Junko, but keeps his real identity hidden; it's unclear if the Vancouver project, which appeared in late June, was made while he's visiting Vancouver, or if he's now residing here.
In an interview with Global in Montreal he described his work as "carefully arranged piles of garbage." Some of his pieces have been quite large and set up in parks and parking lots in Montreal, while a few others have been small and mobile.
