If you find yourself in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan in the coming days and you see a herd of elephants, don’t go thinking you’ve been transported out of New York. You’ve come upon the Great Migration.
This life-size exhibit of 100 elephant sculptures was the idea of Coexistence Collective, a group of artists from South India, and their partnership with Elephant Family, a not-for-profit organization that helps protect Indian wildlife. The elephants were created using “lantana camara,” a strong and invasive weed that is encroaching on the elephants’ habitat, forcing them into new ones like local tea and coffee plantations in search of food.
This has caused an increase in human-wildlife conflict, an issue faced by other countries from reports of “leopards on Mumbai’s streets, mountain lions roaming California, and wolves on the rise in Europe,” according to the Coexistence Collective website.
Called the Great Elephant Migration, the herd will be travelling across the country, with a planned California arrival in 2025 with stops in Miami and Montana. The migration sheds light on those communities around the world that have found ways to live alongside “some of the planet’s most challenging animals.”
At prices that range from $8,000 for the babies up to $22,000 for the largest size, each elephant is for sale with funds going to protect “biodiversity and enable people and wildlife to share space.”
The elephants have been placed in groups throughout the Meatpacking District and will be on display until October 20, 2024. It’s free, open to the public. The Great Migration gift shop is located at 423 West 14th Street, and proceeds from sales also goes towards the project.
Here’s your own chance to co-exist with elephants.
Photos by MJ Hanley-Goff
