One hundred elephants have stampeded onto Miami Beach. But don’t worry, they’re not real pachyderms. These are wooden elephants, part of The Great Elephant Migration, an art installation sharing a message about conservation and human-wildlife coexistence. The large herd is on display near 36th Street Park on Miami Beach through Sunday, Dec. 8.
An international collaboration between Indigenous artisans, contemporary artists, and cultural institutions, The Great Elephant Migration adventure started in Nilgiri Hills, India, where the idea of the art installation took shape, and the elephants were made. It has been dubbed a “stop-in-your-tracks art installation.”
“This is a massive project that literally stops people in their tracks when they first see it,” says Ruth Ganesh, principal trustee of Elephant Family and co-founder of The Real Elephant Collective, which spearheaded the installation. “It’s free and accessible to the public and viewable by passersby on the beach.”
The concept for The Great Elephant Migration has been in development for over a decade, according to Ganesh. The installation aims to inspire conversations about coexistence, modeled after the way Indigenous communities in India live alongside the world’s largest land mammal.
“I thought it was an incredibly inspirational story for the rest of the world to do the same with the animals in our backyards,” says Ganesh. “What better way to help the world visualize this coexistence story than to bring 100 life-size elephants across America?”
The sculptures are crafted from Lantana, an invasive weed in India’s forests that displaces wildlife. By converting the weed into art, the project not only supports conservation but also provides sustainable employment for local artisans.
Each sculpture is modeled after a real elephant, with artisans capturing their unique personalities and appearances. Ganesh emphasized that this intimate knowledge stems from the artisans’ animist beliefs and their close connection to nature.
“It is their perspective toward nature that allows them to have this remarkable relationship with the elephants,” she explains. “They know them intimately—by name and personality—to enable the creation of such intricately detailed sculptures to share their story with the world.”
Before arriving in Miami, The Great Elephant Migration toured London in 2021, stopped at the Lalbagh Botanical Garden in Bangalore earlier this year, and visited Newport, Rhode Island, and New York City as part of its United States journey.
“We’ve been blown away by the love and support the elephants have received,” says Ganesh. “Some people are genuinely moved by their presence, which illustrates how beautifully powerful they are.”
The Miami Beach installation aims to inspire visitors to reflect on themes of tolerance, empathy, and coexistence.
“We want people to walk amongst the herd, experience their awesome presence and beauty, and visualize the places in the world where people live alongside these giants,” says Ganesh.
With people streaming into Miami Beach for Art Week, and the elephants’ appearance coinciding, Ganesh hopes there may be interest in buying the sculptures.
Proceeds from the sculptures’ sales will support conservation NGOs worldwide, with each elephant twinned to a specific organization. Donations range from $10,000 to $100,000 per NGO, funding human-wildlife coexistence projects addressing issues with lions, bison, jaguars, and more.
Source : https://amp.miamiherald.com/miami-com/things-to-do/article296166149.html
