Sinking rhino exhibit raises awareness in Oz
THE world’s biggest rhino sculpture has gone on display on a Sydney beach to draw international attention to the African rhino poaching crisis – and a plan to move at least 80 rhinos to Australia for a captive-breeding project.
Built at a cost of A$86 500 (R733 000), the massive bronze sculpture, titled Buried Rhino, has been erected near Bondi Beach in Sydney and will be on display until early November as part of the annual Sculpture by the Sea outdoor art exhibition.
Sydney husband and wife artists, sculptors and photographers Marc and Gillie Schattner created the sculpture of the African black rhino to highlight the relentless slaughter of rhinos in Africa and Asia.
Nearly 6 000 rhinos have been killed and dehorned in South Africa over the past eight years.
“We’ve chosen to have the rhino in a playful setting where people can interact with it – while also showing that they are currently sinking, and if we don’t act now they might be buried for ever,” said the artists.
The sculpture, depicting a rhino lying on its back while sinking deeper into the sand, is nearly 4m high and 8m wide.
It is partly funded by Australia’s Federal Ministry of the Arts and via the crowd-funding platform Pozible, and a portion of the donor funds have been earmarked for the Australian Rhino Project.
Initiated by South African-born entrepreneur Ray Dearlove, the project aims to translocate up to 80 rhinos from South Africa to Australia over the next five years as an “insurance policy against extinction”.
Dearlove told The Mercury at the weekend that he was still in talks with both governments to “secure approvals”.
“The plan has always been to return the rhinos or their progeny once the poaching situation has been resolved. We are proud that Gillie and Marc have created this beautiful rhino sculpture… Our understanding is that up to 3 million people will see the exhibition.”