Gillie and Marc’s giant hippo at Sculptures @ Bayside is designed to be touched

April 2, 2019 / Southern Courier / by Raylene Bliss

A Gillie and Marc sculpture of a larger-than-life hippo coming out of a manhole, bringing the plight of the world’s endangered animals to our urban doorstep, is just one of the Sculptures @ Bayside outdoor exhibition works on display from this weekend.

The talented Alexandria-based artist duo strives to create sculptures that tell the stories of endangered species, like the hippo, Gillie Schattner, of Gillie and Marc, said.  “Come Out, Come Out Hippo, Wherever You Are has the hippo coming out into our world where we can get up close to him,” Schattner said.  Gillie and Marc Schattner of Gilllie and Marc Art, with their giant hippo art piece, called "come out come out Hippo", that will be part of the Bayside Arts Festival. Picture: John Appleyard. “We have studied the animal and we have moulded the work very close to a real hippo so people can see him, touch him, get to know him. Physical touch is the most powerful way to form a connection, so even those disconnected by urban environments thousands of miles away can develop a loving bond to the planet’s most magnificent creatures.”

Sculptures@ Bayside is bringing sculptures to the shores of Cook Park, Kyeemagh from April 6-30, as part of the Bayside Arts Festival, organised by Bayside Council. “I am proud council is continuing to host this festival that has been embraced by our community and showcases the artistic creativity of Bayside. Thanks to the continued sponsorship from Sydney Airport this is also becoming one of the major arts festivals in NSW,” Bayside Mayor Bill Saravinovski said. The festival kicks off on Saturday with Sculptures @ Bayside and stART, a family-friendly fair that encourages everyone to get creative with a range of free art and craft activities, from 11am - 3pm.

Read the full article here > https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/southern-courier/gillie-and-marcs-giant-hippo-at-sculptures-bayside-is-designed-to-be-touched/news-story