Photo by Corey Favino, Courtesy Elephant Family USA and Newport Restoration Foundation
The Meatpacking District Management Association (Meatpacking BID) has announced a beautiful new art installation coming to the neighborhood on Sept 6, The Great Elephant Migration.
The installation will feature 100 life-sized elephant sculptures, arranged in partnership with Elephant Family USA, an international non-governmental organization (NGO) reminding humans to seek a peaceful co-existence with wildlife.
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.
ART PROVIDING FINANCIAL STABILITY
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, Downtown Indian fashion house Sabyasachi will host activations during Fashion Week, Sept. 6-11. 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.
“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.
A MATRIARCHIAL 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.
MIGRATION TO CONTINUE THROUGHOUT 2025 TO MIAMI, LA, AND MORE
The tour will travel from East to West coast across the United States, in a massive collaboration with indigenous artisans, contemporary artists, and cultural institutions. After visiting downtown NYC, the elephants are set to travel to Miami, Blackfeet Nation, Buffalo Pastures in Browning, Montana, and Los Angeles throughout 2025.
Opening day festivities kick off Sept. 6 at 4pm, with a press conference, open to the public.
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.