After a summer of islanders going bananas for the #GoWildGorillas trail, 44 Silverback sculptures were auctioned off this week at the Grand Gorilla Auction. The highest bid of the evening went to the Deloitte-sponsored sculpture, The Space Between Us, at a world record-breaking £72,000 – the highest ever recorded for a Wild In Art statue.

The Grand Gorilla Auction raised a staggering grand total of £1,146,500, with all proceeds helping to build Jersey Zoo’s beloved gorilla family a new indoor home.

The Space Between Us, also known as ‘Vincent’, was the creation of Andy Coutanche. Andy used the concept of ‘negative space’ to create a bold design that allowed the surroundings to engage with the sculpture, enabling the piece to continually change whilst it stood proud at El Tico overlooking St Ouen’s Bay throughout the summer.

Martin Rowley, Partner at Deloitte Jersey, said: ‘We are honoured to have been involved with such a wonderful campaign. Not only has it raised far more money than anyone could have anticipated, but it has also touched so many people this summer, providing a lasting legacy and happy memories for many families.
‘Wednesday night’s event at The Royal Yacht Hotel was very special. There was an amazing buzz in the room, lots of cheering, a few tears – and Andy was rightly over the moon that his sculpture attracted a record-breaking bid. ‘Deloitte looks forward to continuing to work with Durrell in the future and help the organisation’s global conservation work which is critical for our planet’s future.’

Beth Gallichan, Fundraising Manager at Durrell Zoo, said, ‘We never expected such an incredible amount of money to be raised and are so grateful to all the generous bidders. ‘Deloitte chose The Space Between Us and could see the vision and potential Andy had for the sculpture. We are proud to have them involved with the trail and end with such a superb result.’

Wild In Art is a global art initiative that connects businesses, artists and communities through the power of creativity. Their art events have enabled more than £12 million to be raised for charitable causes through auctions alone.