Art meets animal activism at new exhibition showcased in Heydar Aliyev Center “Superheroes of Wildlife” comes to Baku

An exhibition by a celebrated artist duo known for creating striking public art will open at the Heydar Aliyev Center on February 4.

The married artists Gillie and Marc Schattner, widely known simply as Gillie and Marc, have transformed art into a powerful platform for environmental advocacy and are recognized as passionate defenders of wildlife.

Their works, presented in Baku under the title “The Superheroes of Wildlife,” once again highlight the challenges confronting wildlife, offering a vision marked by courage and hope.

The exhibition features paintings and sculptures of varying sizes that invite visitors to reflect on humanity’s shared responsibility to protect the natural world. Through these works, a clear message is conveyed: to care for wildlife and actively defend its preservation.

While the couple has gained international recognition for their monumental sculptures of African elephants, Masai giraffes, lowland gorillas, white rhinos, Arctic foxes, Bengal tigers, and other animals — helping their conservation message reach a global audience — it is their autobiographical characters, Rabbitwoman and Dogman, that firmly established them in the art world. Depicted as a rabbit and a dog, traditionally seen as prey and predator, these sculpted alter egos symbolize the idea that cooperation, love, respect, and collaboration can lead to a more peaceful world, regardless of differences.

Centered on these beloved characters, the Baku exhibition brings their adventurous narratives to life, portraying them as eco-warriors riding dinosaurs and defending wildlife in ways that are both playful and deeply moving.

The exhibition will be open to visitors at the Heydar Aliyev Center until February 2026.

Gillie and Marc Schattner — known professionally as Gillie and Marc and in their sculptural public art as Rabbitwoman and Dogman — are internationally acclaimed not only for their wildlife sculptures and vibrant paintings, but also for their advocacy on behalf of endangered species and equality. By combining their distinctly different backgrounds, the duo has created innovative art while raising awareness and funds for a wide range of social causes.

Gillie, born in London to a Dutch mother and Indian father, spent the first 12 years of her life in Zambia. She attributes this period, marked by exposure to both extreme human poverty and rich wildlife, to shaping her determination to make a meaningful difference in the world. Marc, who was born in Australia, draws his strong sense of justice, equality, and respect for others from his family’s history as victims of the Holocaust.

The two artists met in 1990 on a film set in Hong Kong. Gillie was working as a model at the time, while Marc was a creative director, and they married just seven days after meeting. The New York Times has described them as “the most successful and prolific public artists in the history of New York.”

Their work has been exhibited in countless cities around the world, and dozens of their animal-themed sculptures have become permanent fixtures in public spaces globally. While most of their public art is located in the United States, their sculptures can also be found on the streets of London, Doha, Istanbul, Singapore, Bali, Riyadh, Cape Town, and many other cities.

By Nazrin Sadigova