Giant Octopus Sculpture in New York: What Does It Mean?

MANHATTAN, NY (WPIX) – A bronze statue of an octopus holding an elephant, a gorilla, a hippo and a rhinoceros has made its debut in Lower Manhattan.

This colossal artwork, titled “The Arms of Friendship,” will be on display at the World Trade Center campus in New York City until July 2025. It is the latest public exhibition by artist couple Gillie and Marc, who aim to raise awareness about endangered species.

“Over the past 50 years, wildlife populations have declined by 69% worldwide, and we are now facing the world’s sixth mass extinction,” Gillie wrote in a statement on the couple’s official website. “This crisis is indescribable, but we remain hopeful and committed to seeing change in our lifetimes. We trust that our art and the stories we tell can inspire people to engage in important conversations and take meaningful action.”

The sculpture, which features the world’s largest bronze octopus, is 36 feet long and weighs in at a whopping seven tons. Several endangered animals are housed in the octopus’s eight tentacles, including Gillie and Marc’s signature Rabbitwoman and Dogman characters.

The artists encourage the public to interact with their latest sculpture, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. They also invite viewers to sit on a giant tentacle and enjoy a moment with a “magnificent animal that they would never have the chance to experience in the wild.”

In addition to “The Arms of Friendship,” Gillie and Marc have installed two other pieces outside the Oculus Building at the World Trade Center: “The Wild Table of Love,” which features a number of bronze animals sharing a meal at a dining table; and “The Hippo Was Hungry to Try New Things With Rabbitwoman,” which features the character Rabbitwoman and a bronze hippo having a conversation about the latter’s disappearing habitat, Gillie and Marc said.

“This artwork symbolizes the need for a collective effort to address the plight of hippos,” their website states.

Gillie and Marc, a married couple, are versatile artists who work in a variety of media. They use paint, aluminum, bronze, and fiberglass to bring to life their public artworks, which can be found in Chicago, San Francisco, London, and Singapore.