Knysna is the only place in South Africa where a herd of elephants live completely free and unfenced. This distinction is fading rapidly as it is estimated that only one matriarch and a few juveniles remain. The Eden to Addo Corridor Initiative aims to link this small group to the elephants in the Addo Elephant National Park outside Port Elizabeth, following ancient elephant migration routes that traverse 400 km, seven mountain ridges and five biomes. To raise awareness of its mission, the Eden to Addo Corridor Initiative, a conservation NGO, is creating South Africa’s first Land Art route through the corridor. They invited me to create the inaugural work for the Eden to Addo Land Art Route. 

Utilising the materials available in the surrounding area, I conceptualised an artwork in an abandoned stone quarry at Kranshoek. Working with local stone masons, they enhanced the natural folds in the weathered grey stones and repositioned 10 large stone blocks (some weighing up to 6 tons) using earth moving equipment to form three large elephants walking along the path. It is hoped that these mammoth boulders will act as talismans, guarding over the long journey toward re-establishing the old migratory routes.