Look out, London, the gorillas are in town. Fifteen life-sized gorilla sculptures have landed throughout Covent Garden.
The Tusk Gorilla Trail at Covent Garden has had its great unveiling! The new immersive art installation in the heart of historic central London runs until October 14th in support of Tusk’s mission accelerating the impact of African-driven conservation.
Following the huge success and popularity of the Tusk Rhino Trail in 2018 and the Tusk Lion Trail in 2021, we’ve placed 15 life-sized gorilla sculptures throughout the historic Piazza and streets of London’s Covent Garden, including Seven Dials.
Curator Chris Westbrook, from Westbrook Gallery, has brought together an array of talented artists from the world of art, design, film, photography and comedy including several Tusk ambassadors, to release a band of individually designed gorillas across the Covent Garden estate including Seven Dials. Internationally recognised artists designing gorillas include The Rolling Stones guitarist and Tusk ambassador Ronnie Wood and his wife the producer Sally Wood; English actor and comedian John Cleese and wife Jen Cleese; British artist Chila Burman; British photographer Rankin; printmaker Adam Dant; Tusk ambassador and artist Jemma Powell; restaurant Petersham Nurseries in partnership with British artist Hayden Keys; former army helicopter pilot, wildlife artist and Tusk ambassador Hannah Shergold as well as artists Barnaby Barford, Mr Jago, Gordon Cheung, Mauro Perucchetti, Pure Evil and Nick Gentry.
The population of African gorillas remains critically endangered across both Western and Eastern species. Each sculpture will highlight the beauty of gorillas, threats to their existence and the people and solutions working for their survival – raising awareness for conservation efforts across the African continent.
The installation will encourage visitors to follow the Gorilla Trail via an easy-to-use map, making a fun and interactive experience for families and all to enjoy throughout the Summer. Visitors will be able to make donations to Tusk to support our conservation goals across Africa through the website and via QR codes on the sculptures.
