The Great Elephant Migration - Meatpacking District, New York City
"The Great Elephant Migration" is an immersive public art installation, featuring 100 life-sized elephant sculptures spread across 12,000 square feet in New York City’s Meatpacking District. Blending art and conservation, the exhibition aims to raise awareness for endangered elephants and wildlife, with the goal of raising $10 million for global conservation efforts by selling 1,000 sculptures.
The sculptures, modeled after real elephants from Southern India, showcase detailed craftsmanship such as lifelike eyes and wooden tusks. They are handcrafted by Indigenous artisans from the Nilgiri Hills in India, using lantana camara, an invasive shrub harmful to local ecosystems. The project turns this destructive plant into biochar, a soil-enriching material, exemplifying eco-friendly practices in art.
The installation invites interaction, allowing visitors to touch and feel the sculptures, creating a tactile connection to nature in the heart of the city. The emotional response evoked by the exhibit is central to its goal of reconnecting people with nature and wildlife.
The Great Elephant Migration - Meatpacking District, New York City
"The Great Elephant Migration" is an immersive public art installation, featuring 100 life-sized elephant sculptures spread across 12,000 square feet in New York City’s Meatpacking District. Blending art and conservation, the exhibition aims to raise awareness for endangered elephants and wildlife, with the goal of raising $10 million for global conservation efforts by selling 1,000 sculptures.
The sculptures, modeled after real elephants from Southern India, showcase detailed craftsmanship such as lifelike eyes and wooden tusks. They are handcrafted by Indigenous artisans from the Nilgiri Hills in India, using lantana camara, an invasive shrub harmful to local ecosystems. The project turns this destructive plant into biochar, a soil-enriching material, exemplifying eco-friendly practices in art.
The installation invites interaction, allowing visitors to touch and feel the sculptures, creating a tactile connection to nature in the heart of the city. The emotional response evoked by the exhibit is central to its goal of reconnecting people with nature and wildlife.