Since May 2022, the celebrated art exhibit ‘Chimps Are Family’ has been available for the public on London Bridge, but as of late January this year they are coming to Kingston! Thanks to a partnership with Kingston First, the UK’s first Business Improvement District, ten of the eighteen chimps will be available for local residents to enjoy for 6 months.

 

The artists behind this conservation exhibit are Gillie and Marc Schattner, who are excited to bring the chimps to Kingston, especially as Gillie herself is a Kingston local and reported that “it is so special to be able to bring ‘Chimps Are Family’ to the place and community where my life began”.

 

Chimps reportedly share 98% of their DNA with humans, and the artists suggest that this can be seen through their daily life, habits and relationships, particularly between mother and child. The similarities between chimps and humans have been invaluable throughout history, as they were the driving force for the development of evolutionary understanding and have allowed us to understand ourselves better. 

 

Despite our similarities, chimpanzees are critically endangered as a species, and it's because of us.

 

Habitats are being destroyed for houses, mines and agriculture, resulting in an increasing struggle to survive. Humans hunt chimpanzees and even pass on our diseases to them, the worst example being the ebola epidemic which has caused the death of hundreds of thousands of chimps.

 

The ‘Chimps are Family’ exhibit is an attempt to increase awareness and compassion for this species, as Gillie and Marc hope that by viewing the similarities between chimps and ourselves, people will be driven to protect them. The chimps showcase ten different emotions ranging from laughter to grief, with the aim of inspiring love and connection for onlookers

 

The exhibit is completely interactive, and observers are encouraged to get up close to the statues, touch their faces and even hug them. If viewers want to learn more, scanning the QR code at the base of each statue reveals information about the individual chimp, as well as general conservation information and gives the option to donate or adopt one of the individual statues.