As inhabitants of the city that never sleeps, New Yorkers are no strangers to the plethora of public art sculptures that adorn the bustling streets and parks of NYC. However, this autumn, a fresh batch of statues is set to grace the Meatpacking District and raise the bar for the city’s already impressive public art scene.
In the Meatpacking District from September to October 2024, visitors will witness a stunning display of one hundred life-size elephants as part of “The Great Migration.” This awe-inspiring exhibit is part of a global fundraising campaign aimed at promoting Indigenous voices and encouraging humans to coexist peacefully with their animal neighbors.
Looking for some outdoor art to enjoy this summer in NYC? Look no further than our recommended list of the best outdoor art exhibits the city has to offer. From colorful murals to thought-provoking sculptures, these exhibits showcase the creativity and diversity of the art scene in the Big Apple. So grab your walking shoes and get ready to explore the city’s vibrant outdoor art galleries.
Indigenous artisans, contemporary artists, and cultural institutions come together for “The Great Migration” project. The aim is to raise funds for human-wildlife coexistence projects, as well as conservation and protection efforts for migratory animals that cross land, skies, oceans, and seas. The collaboration between these groups is crucial for the success of the project.
The Coexistence Collective, consisting of 200 indigenous artists from the Bettakurumba, Paniya, Kattunayakan, and Soliga communities of India’s Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, Tamil Nadu, meticulously creates each elephant sculpture. Their unparalleled attention to detail brings the animal sculptures to life, drawing from their own experience and generational knowledge of nature and wildlife. This level of precision has been maintained over the past five years, resulting in perfectly detailed elephant sculptures.
Lantana camara, a flowering plant that is one of the most invasive weeds in the world, is used to create these elephants. In India’s Protected Areas, the growth of lantana forces animals out of their habitats and into urban areas, which only adds to the problem of human-wildlife conflict. However, by crafting these elephants from lantana, the weed’s presence in protected areas diminishes, and animals are able to freely roam in their natural habitats once again.
In the last 30 years, the animal population in India, including rhinos, lions, tigers, and elephants, has doubled along with the human population, which has now reached 1.4 billion. The Great Elephant Migration aims to highlight this expanding coexistence of humans and wildlife, showcasing the magnificent ways in which they coexist and thrive together.
The Great Migration is currently located at Cliff Walk in Newport, Rhode Island, but it is set to move to The Meatpacking District in NYC from September to October this year. Following this, the elephants will continue their march to Miami, then Montana, and finally conclude their migration in Los Angeles, California.
