17-foot stacked, bronze rhino sculpture finds new home in Downtown Brooklyn
The iconic stacked rhino sculpture is switching boroughs. Designed by artists, Gillie and Marc Schattner, The Last Three is a 17-foot-tall, bronze sculpture depicting the last three Northern White Rhinos Najin, Fatu and Sudan, and represents a protest of rhino horn sales. The artists announced on Tuesday that the sculpture will move from its current home at Astor Place and be permanently installed at Forest City New York’s MetroTech Center in Downtown Brooklyn. The first public viewing will start Wednesday at 6 pm.
A project that started with a life-changing trip to the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya to visit the Northern White Rhinos, followed by the artists own initial investment of $150,000 and a Kickstarter page has now become a permanent work of art. The artists have since dedicated their lives to protecting rhinos through their art.
In March, the last male Northern White Rhino, Sudan, died. According to the artists, the sculpture will honor Sudan as well as all endangered species, providing a message of hope instead of sadness.
“We hope visitors to the sculpture will engage with our representation of this gentle species and connect with the deeper message which is one of inspiration and change,” Gillie said in a statement. Gillie and Marc consider their art interactive and encourage views to enjoy and explore the art.