Crab Riders

Permanent Exhibition
Lake Macquarie, NSW, Australia
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Crab Riders is a three-piece artwork of three large-scale crabs, two of which are ridden by Dogman and Rabbitwoman. Crab Riders continues the artists’ passionate exploration of environmental issues while encouraging playful interaction from the public. Gillie and Marc believe that crabs are more symbolic than ever, in a world facing incredible environmental challenges. Crabs are resilient and strong, thanks to their thick exoskeleton, and are some of the most ancient creatures to walk among us. The artists wanted the march of the crabs to continue in the face of ocean warming, pollution and acidification. It’s very easy to only care about animals that are cuddly and cute, but Gillie and Marc believe we should find compassion for even the strangest and scariest animals. Dogman and Rabbitwoman sit peacefully on top of the crabs encouraging us to do the same with the crab who is riderless. Climbing aboard a crab is a unique and clever way to instantly build a bond with these amazing creatures.