Run for Your Life

Exhibit Title:
Run for Your Life

Exhibition Locations:

  • Permanent public installation at La Trobe University, Plenty Road and Kingsbury Dr, Bundoora VIC 3086

  • Past exhibition: Federation Square, Flinders St, Melbourne VIC 3000 (January – March 2014)

Exhibition Dates:

  • La Trobe University: Permanent Exhibition

  • Federation Square: January – March 2014

About the Exhibition:
Run for Your Life is a powerful and emotionally charged installation by Gillie and Marc that brings the urgent plight of rhinos directly into public space. Originally commissioned by Federation Square’s Creative Program in Melbourne, the sculpture was later gifted as a permanent installation to La Trobe University, where it continues to provoke thought and ignite conversation.

The installation features three life-sized bronze rhino sculptures, one of which is ridden by the artists’ iconic characters, Rabbitwoman and Dogman. The remaining two rhinos are interactive — inviting the public to climb aboard and take part in a symbolic run for freedom. Originally, the sculptures were activated by motion sensors that triggered the sound of gunfire and a rhino stampede, offering a visceral experience that underscored the brutal reality of poaching.

The work was inspired by the devastating statistic that over 700 black rhinos were killed in South Africa in 2013 — the deadliest year on record at the time. With poaching driven by the illegal trade of rhino horn, Run for Your Life stands as a dramatic and deeply moving call to action to help end this senseless destruction.

Rhinos are ancient creatures, part of our planet’s megafauna heritage, and yet they now teeter on the brink of extinction. The sculpture's placement at La Trobe University — a place of learning and exploration — ensures that the message continues to reach new generations of advocates.

This is more than art; it is a cry for survival.

Featured Animals:

  • Black Rhino

  • White Rhino

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