17-foot stacked, bronze rhino sculpture finds new home in Downtown Brooklyn
Photo via Goodbye Rhinos project
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.
The Last Three’s new home. Photo by Elissa Waltz
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.
Marc added: “Living in urban environments, it is easy to ignore that rhinos are being slaughtered for their horns, which are then passed through to the illegal rhino horn trade and sold as medicine in countries such as Vietnam. Powdered rhino horn has no medical benefits but is the reason the Northern White Rhino is now a functionally extinct species.”
John Bowen, Senior Vice President, Director Property Management, Forest City New York commented that Forest Hills was thrilled to display the sculpture and hoped it would be a place for “Brooklynites to gather and learn together, and we hope everyone takes advantage to come view the sculpture and enjoy its beauty and playfulness, while also learning about this important cause.”
The last two living Northern White Rhinos, Najin and Fatu, live in Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Kenya where they are protected with 24/7 security.
Visit the Goodbye Rhinos website to write your message for the Northern White Rhinos, make a donation, or share a photo with the hashtag #goodbyerhinos.
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