Yesterday night I attended the Elephant Parade Charity Event in Milan at the “Palazzo del Ghiaccio”. It was a fabulous night; 74 elephant statues were auctioned off by Christie’s during a Gala evening in support of the Asian Elephant Foundation and Fondazione Telethon.
The Elephant Parade’s mission to become the world’s largest support organization for the Asian elephant, which is threatened with extinction, The open air art exhibitions attract worldwide attention as wekk as nuch needed public awareness.
The Asian Elephant Foundation supports various projects throught Asia, cares for more than injured elephants alone and preventing elephants from getting hurt. This is why they support organizations that secure elephant corridors, pro-create a natural habitation for the elephants.
I conclude with a beautiful sentence of Medhat Shafik who said “Saving a sick child or saving an elephant endangered is like saving the world. Here is a chance to change and start looking at the world from an ethical perspective”.
This was my favourite elephant created by Piya Paikaew. This piece was inspired by the variety of styles, shapes and colours od Southeast Asia.
Elephant created by Thiti Suwan. The inspiration: throughout history, there has been a strong bond between the people of Thailand and the country’s elephants. Elephants have traditionally played an important role in Thai culture and religion and were revered as a majestic creatures.
Elephant created by Enrico Lombardi who said : “I thought about the significance of the Asian elephant in Asian culture, seeing it like a great jewel, work down, dirty and defaced, containing the remnants of the world but still wearing its glory like a raiment despite carrying the weight of the world”.
Elephant created by Claudia Hamers. She siad “we use hands to protect, to greet and embrace what we hold most dear. This elephant was painted by a group of children and give them a chance to share in the act of creation. A tenter message created by the next generation”.
¨KISS HIM Elephant created by Barnaba Fornasetti:
“kiss himbecause he needs you, kiss him because he deserves it, kiss him because he’s lovely, kiss him because he’s cute, kiss him to support the cause, kiss hem for love, even a diva’s lips are kissing him”.
Well I had a chance to kiss him! LOL
Elephant created by Marianne Van Veen. She said “Friends are important, they make life fun. Whatever that friends looks like is not important. That goes for animals as well. I wanted to use that thought so I came up with a contradiction, fish-elephant, even thought this is a big contradiction they can still play together”.
And me, I can play with them 🙂
Elephant created by Laura Giardino. She said: “Who killed Dumbo???”
Elephant created by Daniel Jorge Conci. It’s an homage to Arcimboldo. this elephant is one of the two winners of the competition “draw your elephant” promoted by ViviMilano.
BILLY B by Cristiano Cascelli. He said: “Billy B is the bearer of peace and love with colours and shapes that speak primarily to children who are our future. The contrast between the black and white symbolises the danger we face in loosing the magnificent colours of Planet Earth”.
Olivier Rothschild and I
ELE-SWORDFISH by Norberto Civardi. He said: “The piece was created to raise awareness of need to save not just the Asian elephant, but also the swordfish. Wildlife conservation can be difficult to accomplish, but elephants parade is a symbol: in hoc signo vinces – in struggle there is victory”.
This cute elephant was sold at 10.500 Euro during the Christie’s auction
see the video on my youtube channel.
This was one of my favourite elephant!
TOTEM by Carla Tolomeo. She said: “A burgeoning mammoth evoking infinity, adorned with emblems befitting a saviour of its species, whose task it is to lead all elephants back to the pastures of the origin, through paths that is, the elephant-myth, endlessly re-create to reach the mother forest”.
Elephant created by Alberto Pasquini e Massimo Fabbro
Dinner time
TINO created by Jacopo Foggini
Elephant created by Tiziano Soro. He said: “to lighten, to rise the thought, for all that it weighs, up to changing its point of view; this island-elephant is some way represents the purity and the bizarre coordinates of the new horizon, a kind of ideal from which you can watch undisturbed by the outside world. An image created to preserve some of that lighttness we need to survive”.
MADONNINA by Sabine Roemer. She said: “The Duomo of Milano, the largest cathedral in Italy which is dedicated to Santa Maria Nascente, inspired me to create this beautiful bespoke “Throne Elephant”. I wanted to recreate the stunning roof, which has a forest of openwork pinnacles and spires, set upon delicate flying buttresses”.
ASIA by Piya Paikeaw
Nello T. was sold at 20.000 Euro
NELLO T. by FERRARI Design
REBEL by Antonio Cagianelli. He said: “A rebellion agains oppression and violence of human nature, by building a system of auto defense. The graffiti/punk language is a metaphore for human frailty and our little elephant is frail too; the punk studs and the provocations of the graffiti from a protest against who wants them to disappear while the tatoos give the fragile elephant’s skin a fearsome appaerence too”.
The last elephant DUMBINA created by Katy Perry with Erin Lareau
Katy Perry said: “my elephant was inspired by my California Dreams Tour and Candyfornia – a magical, glittering place where everything is sweet! The crystals that adorn the elephant are precious, just like the Asian elephant that need our protection. Let’s raise awareness!”.
I hope that with this post, I was able to convey the emetions and especially the thoughts of some of the many artists who have participated in this art exhibition to protect elephants.
I think that ours is only a little help, but a great hope of life for these wonderful creatures.
I think that ours is only a little help, but a great hope of life for these wonderful creatures.
