A herd of elephants “strolled” along the beaches of Miami to the delight of thousands of visitors, who took pictures with these life-size sculptures during Miami Art Week
One hundred life-size wooden elephants provided an unprecedented experience for visitors near 36th Street Park on Miami Beach, who could get close to them, walk among them and take selfies.
This interaction is the goal of The Great Elephant Migration, a sustainable art installation that is currently touring the United States to raise Consciousness about coexistence, tolerance, and ways to coexist with animals.
The installation is a collaboration between Indian artisans, contemporary artists, and cultural institutions. The Great Elephant Migration adventure began in Nilgiri Hills, India, where the concept for the art installation was developed and the elephants were crafted. The whole point of the installation is to get people talking about how we can all get along, especially when it comes to how Indigenous communities in India live alongside the world’s largest land mammal.
Ruth Ganesh, lead trustee of Elephant Family and co-founder of The Real Elephant Collective, which led the installation, said, “The idea for The Great Elephant Migration has been over 10 years in the making, and the installation hopes to get people talking about how people and elephants can coexist, just as communities in India coexist with the world’s largest land mammal.”
In addition to awareness, the elephants are for sale and the money goes to fund conservation causes around the world, especially those dedicated to endangered animals such as jaguars and bison.
The elephants were on the beach during Miami Art Week, and will now take their herd to Houston (April 2025); Browning, Massachusetts (June 2025); Jackson Hole, Wyoming (June 2025 at the National Museum of Wildlife Art) and Los Angeles (July 2025).
The sculptures are made from lantana, an invasive weed from India that displaces wildlife. By turning this weed into art, the project helps conservation and offers local artisans a way to make a sustainable living. Each sculpture is based on a real elephant, and the artisans make them to show off the elephants’ unique personality and appearance.
What exactly is “The Great Elephant Migration” installation?
It’s an art installation with a herd of 100 wooden life size elephants that’s already been shown in London, Bangalore, and most recently, Rhode Island, New York, and Miami. It’s heading to Houston in April 2025, then Browning, Massachusetts, in June 2025, followed by Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and Los Angeles in July 2025.
What’s the goal of The Great Elephant Migration?
The exhibition aims to inspire visitors to reflect on issues of tolerance, empathy, and coexistence, and to think about finding ways to live better with animals. The sculptures are sold, and proceeds from the sale go to conservation NGOs around the world with human-wildlife coexistence projects that address problems with lions, bison, jaguars, and others.
What are The Great Elephant Migration sculptures made of?
They’re life-size sculptures made from lantana, an invasive weed in India’s forests that’s pushing wildlife out.
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