At the end of July 2022, artists Gillie and Marc installed the world’s largest sculpture of an octopus at the World Trade Center in New York City, USA. The duo have been known for their public sculptures of wildlife that advocate for their conservation. Hence, following the same vein, this particular sculpture, titled The Arms of Friendship, was also made to advocate for the conservation of the depicted giant octopus. The Arms of Friendship is their second giant octopus sculpture of the year, their first being Giant Pacific Octopus, which was put on display during the month of May at Gardens by the Bay, Singapore.
Gillie and Marc have chosen to create many different giant octopus sculptures in 2024 to reflect the current urgent global need to conserve its many different species. Octopuses have been credited with being one of the world’s smartest animals with 9 brains in their cranium. Yet, this has not stopped the global octopus population from declining sharply due to overfishing and habitat loss. Altogether, this is why The Arms of Friendship and Giant Pacific Octopus by Gillie and Marc are relevant to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal of Life Below Water.
To highlight the cause, the giant octopus in The Arms of Friendship stands at a whopping 36 feet and weighs around 7 tons. Its eight tentacles are carrying numerous endangered species such as hippos, elephants, tigers, and more. To TimeOut Magazine, Gillie affirmed that the sculpture advocates for holistic wildlife conservation.
“In the last 50 years, wildlife populations have plummeted by 69% globally. We are now facing the world’s sixth mass extinction, this crisis is beyond description, yet we remain hopeful and committed to witnessing change within our lifetimes. We trust that our art and the stories we tell can inspire people to engage in vital conversations and take meaningful action,” said Gillie.
Meanwhile, their piece Giant Pacific Octopus comes with a detailed explanation of the current threats the titular species is facing. They do this on their website, Love the Last, where they first elaborate on how giant Pacific octopuses have blue blood that cannot transport oxygen well in oxygen-low warm waters. Climate change has only made it so that the cool, oxygen-rich waters they require are increasingly harder to come by. On top of that, human use of fossil fuels and industrialization has increased CO₂ levels in the oceans, changing the pH level of waters that have proven to be deadly for these creatures.
Gillie and Marc closed their statement with a call to action, urging viewers of their artwork to donate directly to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in order to make real contributions to the protection of the giant Pacific octopus.
Find out more about The Arms of Friendship and Giant Pacific Octopus and other pieces by Gillie and Marc on their Instagram @gillieandmarcart or website www.gillieandmarc.com.