Artists Want to Build the Largest Rhino Sculpture in the World at Astor Place in NYC

Astor Place may soon to be home to the world’s largest rhino sculpture. The New York and Sydney-based contemporary art duo, Gillie and Marc Schattner, are asking for the help from the public to finish their newest environment-centric sculpture: The Last Three. The sculpture, which is already set to break their own record of the being biggest rhino sculpture in the world (last established by their piece: Shandu), continues with the message that’s been the theme of all their rhino pieces: to stop poaching.

This sculpture by Gillie and Marc, “Shandu, The Buried Rhino, is currently the largest rhino sculpture in the world. First displayed in 2016, the sculpture now has a permanent home at Monarto Zoo in South Australia. Photo courtesy Gillie and Marc.

The husband-wife team came up with the idea to do an ode to the final three Northern white Rhinos that still exist in the world –Sudan and his infertile daughters Najin and Fatu – after traveling to Africa earlier this year to visit the final animals in person. Gillie and Marc hope to raise awareness and push for stricter regulations on poaching by including symbolic gestures on the life-size, three dimensional portraits, such as covering their tusks in gold patina to represent the worth of an illegal rhino tusk. Gillie and Marc intend to show the the final three rhinos balancing on one another to represent the “fragile yet magnificent” beauty they feel these rhinos possess.

Photo courtesy Gillie and Marc.

Although there doesn’t appear to be any hope in saving the Northern white rhino population, Gillie and Marc are still aiming to raise awareness to the poaching that has lead to their impending extinction.Their goal is to get 1 million “goodbye messages” from the public to be turned into a petition to the U.N. to enforce anti-poaching laws. But they can’t do it alone.

The artists have already put up $150,000 of their own capital, and asking any and all who are willing to donate to help them raise the final $50,000 they need to complete the sculpture. Those interested can head to their kickstarter campaign, “Goodbye Rhino’s: Goodbye Planet Earth,” which already has just over $14,000 but with just another 38 days to go.

“Goodbye Rhinos: Goodbye Planet Earth” from Gille and Marc’s kickerstarter campaign. 

The life-size, bronze recreation of the final family, which is set to show at Astor Place in January 2018 would be a trial run for Gillie and Marc. Then, pending on the sculpture’s success, Gillie and Marc plan to show the piece in ten other cities across the globe.

Next, check out 21 outdoor art installations not to miss in NYC this month and the 54 Wave Sculptures that have been installed across NYC’s 5 Boroughs. Get in touch with the author: @Erika_A_Stark.