New York City’s vibrant Meatpacking District on Manhattan’s West Side is a known mecca for art enthusiasts. Starting on September 6, 2024, and running through the month of October, a captivating outdoor installation titled “The Great Elephant Migration” will be the area’s newest art offering.
In this one neighborhood, visitors can immerse themselves in a wealth of gallery exhibitions, stroll along the New York High Line to see sculptures, murals, and world-class architecture, or visit the impressive collection of modern and contemporary art at the Whitney Museum of Modern Art.
But this unique upcoming exhibition of a heard 100 life-size elephants spread across different parts of the Meatpacking District promises to be one of the largest and most meaningful public art displays in New York City since the renowned 2005 Central Park installation, known as “The Gates” by Christo and Jeanne Claude.
A Collaborative Art Project to Promote Conservation
The exhibition, made possible through a partnership between the Meatpacking District Management Association (whose goal is to promote the area for businesses, residents, and visitors) and Elephant Family USA, an international non-governmental organization, aims to promote conservation and coexistence between humans and wildlife.
Each of the intricately detailed elephants to be on display was created by members of The Coexistence Collective, a community of 200 Indigenous artisans in India. The eco-conscoius sculptures are crafted from lantana camara, a fast-growing invasive weed known to push animals out of their natural habitats.
In addition to its artistic allure, this family-friendly exhibition offers a one-of-a-kind opportunity to teach young people about threats to wildlife and the importance of conservation. Photos of the elephants in this urban environment are expected to spread across social media, impacting more people than those who can see them in person.
The elephants will all be available for sale, with donations ranging from $8,000 for a baby elephant to $22,000 for a larger elephant with tusks. Funds generated through the sales and other donations will be used in a range of efforts designed to promote harmony between humans and wildlife populations.
Follow the Herd
The elephant herd is making its way across the U.S. so art lovers and conservationists at other locations can check out the upcoming schedule.
Before the New York visit, the herd will be Newport, Rhode Island until the end of August 2024. Other stops are scheduled in Miami Beach, Florida, in December 2024, in Blackfeet Nation, Buffalo Pastures, and Browning, Montana, in May and June 2025, and in Los Angeles in July 2025.
The Meatpacking District installation will include multidisciplinary works by artist Hadi Falapishi. Indian fashion house Sabyasachi, a headline sponsor for the New York visit, will host special events in association with Fashion Week (September 6-11, 2024).
“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,” said Jeffrey LeFrancois, Executive Director of the Meatpacking BID in a press release.
The project was curated by noted art writer, editor, and critic Dodie Kazanjian, who has been called the matriarch of the The Great Elephant Migration.
