The Great Elephant Migration Marks one of the Largest Outdoor Installations in New York City since Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s The Gates in 2005
The Installation Aims to Raise Awareness and Money for Conservation Efforts Around the World Free and Open to the Public
New York: Make way for the elephants! Today, the Meatpacking District Management Association (Meatpacking BID) is excited to announce a stop-you-in-your-tracks public art installation coming to the neighborhood on Sept 6, 2024: The Great Elephant Migration. In partnership with Elephant Family USA, an international non-governmental organization (NGO) dedicated to helping the human race share space with the world's magnificent wildlife, 106 life-sized Indian elephant sculptures will migrate to New York City’s Meatpacking District. The head-turning herds, spread across the District, will captivate visitors of all ages while amplifying indigenous knowledge and sharing a message about human-wildlife coexistence and conservation.
One of the largest public art installations in New York City since Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s The Gates in 2005, The Great Elephant Migration marks the first time a “migration” of this scale and purpose will take place. This global fundraising adventure benefits indigenous and community-led conservation efforts—specifically, conservation NGOs supporting remarkable people around the world who have found ways to live alongside lions, leopards, elephants, and some of the planet’s most challenging animals—and inspire peaceful, symbiotic human and animal coexistence. Each elephant is one-of-a-kind in the 100-strong herd on display, created by the Coexistence Collective, a community of 200 Indigenous artisans living within India’s Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, who have reclaimed an invasive plant species called Lantana camara that has entangled 300,000 square kilometers of India's forests and diminished food sources for all herbivores. Using Lantana as material, the collective has recreated every elephant they live alongside, known well by name and personality, in intricately detailed sculptural form.
The creation of these elephants provides financial stability, status and pride to 200 members of the Soligas, Bettakurumbas, Kattunayakan and Paniyas tribes, who coexist with the real wild elephants the herd is based on. Already over $500,000 has been generated, making it the biggest sustainable indigenous enterprise in India. This effort celebrates their knowledge of the natural world and rewards a remarkable ability to coexist.
As headline sponsor for New York, Indian fashion house Sabyasachi will host activations during Fashion Week. The exhibition is co-presented by Art&Newport and curated by founder Dodie Kazanjian, and will include multidisciplinary installations by artist Hadi Falapishi on display in the District. Related programming, events, and activations in Meatpacking will continue into late October, allowing visitors to experience the elephants at key gateways and plazas throughout the pedestrian-friendly neighborhood. Viewers are encouraged to capture photographs of these incredible sculptures as they stand out amongst the urban landscape, to spread awareness about the campaign and increase support.
“As a cultural anchor on the west side of Manhattan, the Meatpacking District is a world class home for the arts and public programming. Bringing the Great Elephant Migration to the cobblestones of Meatpacking combines the two, and showcases the significant role art plays in New York City, especially around placemaking, tourism, and economic development. This installation is a prime example of how a business improvement district can bridge community and culture to make a lasting impression on all who pass through—and you won’t want to miss it,” said Jeffrey LeFrancois, Executive Director of the Meatpacking BID.
Conservation Miracle and Model for Harmonious Living
Both the human and elephant populations of India have doubled in size since 1980, (currently 1.4 Billion and 30,000, respectively) demonstrating an extraordinary example of harmonious coexistence in a developing world. The Great Elephant Migration is designed to raise millions of dollars to help fund projects that enable people and wildlife around the world to live closer together than ever before, in harmony. Each of the elephant sculptures can be purchased, with prices ranging from $8,000 for a baby up to $22,000 for a tusker. Leading NGOs from around the world working to enable human wildlife coexistence will benefit from funds raised via the sale of the elephant sculptures, including New York City’s Wild Bird Fund, INDIGENOUS LED, Lion Guardians, and Coexistence Consortium. See below for a full list of Partner NGOs.
“What could be more symbolic of the overlap between the human and animal world than a herd of elephants roaming New York City’s streets? I hope this exhibition reminds us of the awe we feel when in the company of wild, free animals and, in our increasingly urban world, inspires the human race to better share space,” says Ruth Ganesh, Coexistence Collective Co-Founder and Elephant Family USA Trustee.
“Recognizing that animals are individuals with their own personalities is vitally important for the coexistence movement. Individual animals may cause damage or pose a threat to humans, but not an entire species. Indigenous people around the world think of animals as ‘other-than-human persons’, which fosters a deeper respect for all living beings, where humans and animals can live together more harmoniously,” said Dr. Tarsh Thekaekara, Coexistence Collective Co-Founder.
“We at Sabyasachi are committed to The Great Elephant Migration cause and eagerly await the herd's arrival in New York,” said Sabyasachi founder Sabyasachi Mukherjee.
A Matriarchal Migration
The Great Elephant Migration is a women-led conservation effort, reflecting the matriarchal structures that elephants uphold in the wild, with each herd led by an elder, experienced female. To further honor this, the campaign has formed “The Matriarchy,” a group of influential women across diverse fields from environmentalists and philanthropists to storytellers and creatives, which will rally support for human-wildlife coexistence throughout the Migration. Current members of the Matriarchy include Cher, Kristin Davis, Kris Tompkins, Diane Von Furstenberg, and Dr. Sylvia Earle, with more to be announced.
The tour will travel from East to the West Coast across the United States, in a massive collaboration with indigenous artisans, contemporary artists, and cultural institutions. After the herd’s time in Newport, Rhode Island, where the migration began, and the Meatpacking District, the elephants are set to travel to Miami, Blackfeet Nation, Buffalo Pastures in Browning, Montana, and Los Angeles throughout 2025. From Montana to Los Angeles, the sculptures will be transported by a convoy of 100 electric trucks
adorned with Indian lorry art, each towing a single elephant. From the cobblestones of the Big Apple’s Meatpacking District to breathtaking ocean vistas and rugged mountains onto the vibrant streets of L.A., this journey will symbolize the experience of migratory animals in a human-dominated world.
For more information on the Meatpacking District installation, visit meatpacking-district.com, and to learn more about The Great Elephant Migration’s conservation mission, visit TheGreatElephantMigration.org.
