ANIMAL CROSSING.

HUMAN/ANIMAL INTERACTIONS.

The moose is a quintessential Canadian animal, massive, iconic, and wild. It represents the strength and beauty of the northern landscape. Animal Crossing reimagines this familiar creature through a sculptural language rooted directly in the materials of human infrastructure. Constructed from recycled aluminum traffic signage, the piece transforms the very artifacts of the road into the form of the animal they both endanger and attempt to protect.

This installation embodies the collision and coexistence of human and animal worlds. By reusing decommissioned traffic signs that were discarded, the sculpture gives new life to materials designed for safety and regulation. In this new context, they become a reminder of the animals we share the road with and the necessity of considering how our infrastructure can threaten their existence.

The moose’s interlocking body panels were created by first mounting the recycled signs onto sheets of substrate using metal rivets. These sign-faced sheets were then water-jet cut into the precise shapes that form the moose’s body. Their reflective surfaces and bold graphics create a mosaic that links the animals form to the visual language of the roadway.

The finished panels fit together without visible fasteners, emphasizing modularity, craft, and sustainable reuse. The legs are supported by reused U-channel posts, the same material used for traffic signage, mounted to a white powder-coated steel base that blends into the snow.

The two orange barricade lights at its base help to reinforce the traffic-safety narrative. They are familiar roadside objects used in a new way to strengthen the visual connection between the sculpture and roadwork infrastructure. The moose antlers are the only part of the sculpture that is directly lit, and this is intentional. The illumination draws the viewer’s eye to the focal point of the sculpture, a reminder that failure to heed road signage can mean the difference between safety and harm for both people and wildlife.

By reworking everyday road materials into a new form, Animal Crossing encourages a moment of awareness about coexistence and the responsibilities that come with it.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Daniel Wray, Jordan Bussiere & Ethan Rozendaal.

Daniel Wray, Jordan Bussiere, and Ethan Rozendaal are Edmonton-based intern architects who met while completing their Master of Architecture degrees at the University of Calgary.

Animal Crossing was an opportunity to apply their shared technical and design skills at a smaller, more hands-on scale than their architectural work typically allows.

As emerging professionals, they were drawn to the chance to take a project from concept to construction, engaging directly with materials and fabrication. The process was both practical and rewarding, offering a rare opportunity to build something themselves and see a design come to life within a short timeline.

Born and raised in Edmonton, the trio saw this installation as a meaningful way to give back to the community that shaped them.

They have also designed and created this year’s installation, Castor Lantern.