An elephant safari

This weekend I went on an elephant safari in central London. Yes, really! I went to see the CoExistence exhibition in St James’ Park and Green Park, which was developed to highlight how we can coexist with animals across the planet by telling the stories of different elephant herds and their interactions with local people.

The sculptures were majestic, each one individual, and arranged in different herds. The detail up close was beautiful too, I was really taken with the placement of each individual strand of wood as well as how each herd was arranged. A real interaction of the micro and macro, both important, both striking.

I’ve since learned that the 100 elephants in the art installation were created by The Real Elephant Collective, working with artists from indigenous communities in the jungles at Tamil Nadu, and each sculpture was based on the elephants they live alongside. Production took five years and the material used was an invasive weed, so removing it also helped both the elephants and the local community. I was struck by how long it took and the patience that must have been involved in the creation of each sculpture, but of course that serves to highlight there is no quick fix for environmental problems. It takes time, and awareness, and looking at the detail as well as the bigger picture. 

All in all a surprising and inspiring day.

More information: coexistence.org