Elephant Parade is a conservation campaign that shines a multi-coloured spotlight on the urgent crisis faced by the endangered Asian elephant. Brought to you by www.elephantfamily. org, the event sees over 250 brightly painted life-size elephants located over central London this summer.
Each decorated by a different artist or celebrity, the elephants brighten and beautify the city, enhancing every park, street corner and building they grace. Running from May to July 2010, this is London’s biggest outdoor art event on record. With an estimated audience of 25 million, it is expected to raise £2 million for the Asian elephant and benefit 20 UK conservation charities.
A herd of 'baby elephants' hand-painted by artists and designers including Tommy Hilfiger and Matthew Williamson are setting London ablaze with colour
The life-sized artworks form part of a collection of 260 model elephants taking over the English capital this summer for the London Elephant Parade 2010
An elephant by Paul Smith was fashionably attired in pastel shades and signed by the designer on its knee
The highly collectable artworks will pop up at a host of London landmarks including Buckingham Palace, Parliament Square and the South Bank over the next few months, before being auctioned off to raise £2 million for charity
The money will help The Elephant Family charity and more than 15 UK conservation charities working in Asia
Tourists walked among the elephants, flocking to hug and have their pictures taken with them
The artworks include three anonymously- decorated elephants with boxing gloves, representing the Liberal Democrats, Labour and the Conservatives
The three 'political' elephants will mysteriously acquire various bruises and black eyes as the parties slug it out in the final days before the General Election
Organisers said that while elephants have paraded in Holland and similar artwork cows have been installed in London before...
... this is the first parade of elephants for Britain
SOURCE : funonthenet.in
