The Gold Rhino is launched at CIRCA
Last Wednesday marked another important milestone along the 52 Artworks journey, for the gold-leaf version of Mapungubwe Revisited was launched in The Darwin Room at the Everard Read’s extraordinary CIRCA venue, an event which turned into a significant evening as sales worth R215 000.00 were achieved. Wine, friendship, and a meeting of shared values turned this into an unforgettable occasion.
Amongst the invited guests and presenters were Dr Morne Du Plessis, CEO of WWF-SA, myself, Mark Read, and Dr Andrew Baxter, Head of Business Development WWF-SA.
This was the first time that the gold-leaf version of Mapungubwe Revisited was displayed, a special edition which is being limited to only twelve before production is stopped. The bronze version, of which only one hundred will be released, was also on display and attracted buyers as well. And then there is the single pure gold Mapungubwe Revisited sculpture – lets’ wait and see…
Apart from the wonderful pledges and sales, the evening also gave me an opportunity to share with the audience the messaging and narrative that I link to this sculpture, that of the thread between myself and the artist who created the Mapungubwe gold rhino 800 years ago, inviting us to revisit the rhino, and seeing them not only as a spectacular mammal that deserves the right of protection and life, but also reminding us that the natural world around us is much more than a commodity, a space or a view, they are all intrinsic aspects of who we are and where we come from, and that each rhino killed or tract of land destroyed is another part of ourselves lost.
For we must not forget that the rhino walks beside us along the trail of life, each an integral part of our inter-connected world.
Now we move onto the official launch of Mapungubwe Revisited on the 19th September at the Mapungubwe Museum, where the two gold rhinos – the original from the royal burial, and Mapungubwe Revisited, will be displayed together.
To see the original 52Artwork posting of Mapungubwe Revisited, click here