The Rhino was a commission by Birmingham Southside and Birmingham LGBT. The Rhino is a permanent sculpture marking the gateway to the Gay Village area. It was installed on the Wynmer building in Birmingham in June 2012 by artists Robbie Coleman, Em Butler and Vik Litton. A rhino was the symbol of the gay rights movement in the US and rhinestones used reflect the history of the Southside of Birmingham as a jewellery quarter. Commission Southside Bid and Birmingham LGBT Trust 2012
The Heart of the Rhino was a companion project by Jo Hodges. Messages, photos, music and video were collected from the LGBTQ community and put together in a heart which is sealed inside the Rhino.
Jo Hodges is a multidisciplinary public artist based in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland
with a background in Human Ecology, community development and social justice.
Her work investigates ecological and socio-cultural systems, processes and relationships, and explores new strategies for working in public. Her practice takes many forms; temporary and permanent works, site specific installations and socially engaged projects and processes. She is often led by context, where the outcome is determined as a result of process.
She is interested in research, experimentation and collaboration at the intersection of environment, culture and technology and exploring the role of art in social change. She is joint Director-Curator of Sanctuary Lab, a public art laboratory in the Galloway Forest Dark Skies Park.
Coleman & Hodges 