Pickfords in the UK has moved 15 life-sized Gorilla artworks to Covent Garden as part of the Tusk Gorilla Trail, in partnership with African conservation charity Tusk.

Art curator Chris Westbrook brought together an array of celebrity artists, including Ronnie and Sally Wood, Hannah Shergold and Adam Dant to design the sculptures.  The artworks will be on display in London, at Covent Garden and Seven Dials, during the summer and will be moved from their sites to be sold at auction to raise funds to support Tusk’s conservation projects.

The project created some challenges for the removals team.  The cobbled streets of the Piazza in Covent Garden were problematic for using trolleys, so each Gorilla was a four-man carry to its place.  The team also had to place concrete blocks within the plinths to ensure that the colourful sculptures could not be moved by the public.

Curator Chris Westbrook said “Harnessing the emotional and communicative power of art is the perfect vehicle to raise awareness and create positive change across the widest audiences.  I would like to thank the team at Pickfords for providing excellent logistical support to the project.”

Photo: The Tusk Gorilla Trail.