Imitation by artists Gillie and Marc

TITLE
Wild Chimp Imitation

NAMES
Anya (Russian name meaning grace. Also Hungarian for mother) 
Hugo (Come from the Latin Hugh which means heart, mind, spirit)

GENDER
Female and Male

AGE
14 and 4

Imitation is a very important skill for learning. Young will copy the actions of those around them as they learn how to do things and react to stimuli. Chimpanzee are no different. But this is not a skill that all apes have, in fact, most apes are terrible at it. This just goes to show how close we are to our cousins.

Young chimps will often imitate as they learn how to use tools, how to climb, how to make a nest. A young chimpanzee will often be seen pulling leafy sticks down like their mother will when it's time to build a nest. By observing their community and copying, young chimps will be able to learn all the skills necessary for survival.

Imitation is also seen on a spontaneous level. Chimps have been seen to catch yawns, just like we do. This has always been known as a sign of empathy. But it’s not just yawns, like human babies, chimps will mimic any facial expression. These sorts of imitations are not about learning any new skills, it's more about social bonding.

HOW TO HELP 
​Based off real animals that Gillie and Marc met while studying, the public will be able to meet individual animals. This will help them to realise that there are apes with unique personalities, thoughts and emotions. The loss of one individual is just as devastating as losing an individual human.

With public art, more people will come into contact with these sculptures, will stop and consider them, will take a photograph, and will discuss this with their friends and family. Through this increased exposure, the message of love, family, and conservation will be spread much further than any piece of art in a gallery ever could. It will bring people into close contact and will help them to fall in love. With love comes a greater urge to want to create a change and save the great apes.

​The sculpture will be aligned with the hashtags #LoveTheLast and #ChimpsAreFamily to raise unparalleled awareness about the sculpture’s cause across the globe.

To help protect the great apes you can adopt a chimp and help them via the WWF: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/chimpsarefamily

If you are interested in buying chimpanzee related art, you will also be directly helping real chimps in the wild with 30% going to WWF to continue their fantastic work for chimpanzee conservation: Click here to browse art > https://gillieandmarc.com/collections/chimps

ABOUT GILLIE AND MARC
Gillie and Marc’s highly coveted public artworks can be found worldwide including in New York, London, Singapore, Shanghai, and Sydney. They are Archibald Prize finalists, won the Chianciano Biennale in Italy, took out the Allens People’s Choice Award in 2016 and 2018 and Kids’ Choice Award in the 2016 Sculpture by the Sea and received the Bayside Arts Festival People's Choice Award in 2019 in Sydney.

The husband-and-wife duo are on a mission to make art for a better tomorrow. They are best known for their beloved characters, Rabbitwoman and Dogman, who tell the autobiographical tale of two opposites coming together as best friends and soul mates.

Gillie and Marc are also passionate eco-warriors and have dedicated their lives to protecting nature.

Gillie grew up with the wildlife in Zambia and Marc studied chimpanzees in Tanzania as a young man. Over time, the artists developed a deep appreciation for all living things and a desire to preserve the magnificence of the natural world. 

Through their art, Gillie and Marc aim to transform passive audiences into passionate advocates for animal conservation. Their mission is to use their work as a platform to continue spreading awareness about endangerment, which will ultimately lead to change and save species from extinction.

Their art has raised hundreds of thousands in donations for the many wildlife charities and causes they support through their project Love The Last.

Please follow @gillieandmarcart

Woman sits next to bronze sculpture of 2 chimps, all imitating each others pose