‘World’s biggest rhino’ heading to Sydney
TWO ARTISTS PLAN TO BUILD THE WORLD’S BIGGEST RHINO SCULPTURE FOR SYDNEY’S SCULPTURE BY THE SEA TO RAISE AWARENESS AND FUNDS FOR THE THREATENED MAMMALS.
EARLIER THIS YEAR, we reported on ambitious plans to relocate 80 rhinos to Australia as an insurance population for the threatened African mammals.
Now, two Australian artists have started a crowd-funding campaign to support the rhino relocation initiative – called the Australian Rhino Project – as well as to fund a related awareness-raising art project.
The Sydney-based husband and wife artists, Gillie and Marc, plan to build the world’s largest rhino sculpture for this year’s Sculpture by the Sea event in Sydney.
A mock-up of ‘Buried Rhino’ to be exhibited at the 2016 Sculpture by the Sea. (Credit: Gillie and Marc)
“The rhino sculpture we’re going to be creating is going to be huge and placed right in the middle of Tamarama Beach,” said Gillie who, along with Marc, are known for their previous bronze rhino sculptures which have been exhibited at Sydney’s Taronga Zoo and in Melbourne’s Federation Square.
The sculpture is called ‘Buried Rhino’ and will be larger than life at 5m high and 4m wide. The large bronze rhino will be on its back and half buried by sand, to symbolise the plight of the mammal. Rhinos are threatened by poaching, which is on the rise in South Africa.
The Australian Rhino Project will begin relocating the first rhinos to Australia later this year.
The artists are seeking donations to support both the relocation project and to fund the sculpture.
Sculpture by the Sea is a free public art exhibition held every year from Bondi to Tamarama Beach in Sydney and will run this year from 20 October to 6 November.
BY AG STAFF WRITER
