{"id":1782387,"date":"2026-02-20T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-19T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1782387"},"modified":"2026-02-20T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-02-19T21:00:00","slug":"itamar-gov-draws-on-history-and-legend-for-the-rhinoceros-in-the-room","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1782387","title":{"rendered":"Itamar Gov Draws on History and Legend for \u2018The Rhinoceros in the Room\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"entry-content prose-colossal max-w-none\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull is-style-default entry-header is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-fe9cc265 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"colo-post-featured-image wp-block-post-featured-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1709\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/gov-3.jpg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"A giant inflated sculpture by Itamar Gov of a gray rhinoceros amid Romanesque church architecture\" style=\"object-fit:cover\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photos by Hans Wulf. All images courtesy of the artist, Zilberman Gallery Berlin, and Kunstmuseum Magdeburg, shared with permission<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group post-title is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-0bc941e6 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<h1 class=\"alignfull wp-block-post-title\">Itamar Gov Draws on History and Legend for \u2018The Rhinoceros in the Room\u2019<\/h1>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull post-meta is-layout-flex wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-date\"><time datetime=\"2026-02-20T14:00:00-06:00\">February 20, 2026<\/time><\/div>\n<div class=\"taxonomy-category wp-block-post-terms\"><a class=\"category-art\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/category\/art\/\" rel=\"tag\">Art<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author-name\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/author\/kmothes\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"wp-block-post-author-name__link\">Kate Mothes<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull post-share-group is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-6c531013 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing has-visible-labels has-icon-color is-style-logos-only is-layout-flex wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-is-layout-flex\">\n<li style=\"color: #1c1e0d\" class=\"outermost-social-sharing-link outermost-social-sharing-link-facebook has-crow-color wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thisiscolossal.com%2F2026%2F02%2Fitamar-gov-rhinoceros-in-the-room-sculpture-installation%2F&amp;title=Itamar%20Gov%20Draws%20on%20History%20and%20Legend%20for%20%26%238216%3BThe%20Rhinoceros%20in%20the%20Room%27\" aria-label=\"Share\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-anchor\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-label \"><br \/>\n\t\t\tShare\t\t<\/span><br \/>\n\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"color: #1c1e0d\" class=\"outermost-social-sharing-link outermost-social-sharing-link-pinterest has-crow-color wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thisiscolossal.com%2F2026%2F02%2Fitamar-gov-rhinoceros-in-the-room-sculpture-installation%2F&amp;description=Itamar%20Gov%20Draws%20on%20History%20and%20Legend%20for%20%26%238216%3BThe%20Rhinoceros%20in%20the%20Room%27&amp;media=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thisiscolossal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2026%2F02%2Fgov-3-960x641.jpg\" aria-label=\"Pin\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-anchor\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-znhuIFAA\" data-rl_title data-rl_caption title><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-label \"><br \/>\n\t\t\tPin\t\t<\/span><br \/>\n\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"color: #1c1e0d\" class=\"outermost-social-sharing-link outermost-social-sharing-link-mail has-crow-color wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/cdn-cgi\/l\/email-protection#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\" aria-label=\"Email\" class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-anchor\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-label \"><br \/>\n\t\t\tEmail\t\t<\/span><br \/>\n\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><button class=\"simplefavorite-button preset\" data-postid=\"469945\" data-siteid=\"1\" data-groupid=\"1\" data-favoritecount=\"0\"><i class=\"sf-icon-bookmark\"><\/i>Bookmark<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>You\u2019ve probably heard the idiom, \u201cthe elephant in the room,\u201d to describe when there\u2019s some uncomfortable and obvious problem that no one is addressing\u2014the kind of issue that feels as though it\u2019s taking up all available space. But what if yet another megafauna came stampeding onto the scene? That\u2019s where Berlin-based artist <a href=\"https:\/\/www.itamargov.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Itamar Gov<\/a>\u2019s large-scale installation comes in.<\/p>\n<p><em>The Rhinoceros in the Room <\/em>is a towering, inflatable sculpture that fills a medieval church nave at <a href=\"https:\/\/kunstmuseum-magdeburg.de\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Kunstmuseum Magdeburg<\/a> in Germany. Gov draws inspiration from Renaissance engraver Albrecht D\u00fcrer\u2019s iconic <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nhm.ac.uk\/discover\/the-legacy-of-durers-rhinoceros.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">rhinoceros woodcut<\/a>, which the artist created in 1515 without having ever seen one of the animals himself. His rendering is wildly inaccurate in terms of anatomy, depicting an extra horn at the creature\u2019s shoulders and armor instead of a thick leather hide, but thanks to the ability to replicate it in print, it captured the public\u2019s imagination.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/gov-1.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-469945\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2996\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/gov-1.jpg\" alt=\"A giant inflated sculpture by Itamar Gov of a gray rhinoceros amid Romanesque church architecture\" class=\"wp-image-469946\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<p>D\u00fcrer\u2019s image persists as a symbol of imperial might and prestige. The animal itself represents power and vigor, and one was even gifted from Sultan Muzafar II of Gujaratm, India, to King Manuel I of Portugal in 1515, providing the inspiration for the artist\u2019s rendering.<\/p>\n<p>The rhinoceros has also been hunted and poached <a href=\"https:\/\/helpingrhinos.org\/about-rhinos\/why-rhinos-are-endangered\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">nearly to extinction<\/a>, and several species remain critically endangered today. For <em>The Rhinoceros in the Room, <\/em>Gov \u201ccombines historical events, philosophical ideas, and local legends and questions the fragile boundaries between fact and fiction; memory and imagination,\u201d the museum says.<\/p>\n<p>Portrayed in monochrome gray, the gentle giant lumbers amid the 11th-century Romanesque colonnades, assuming a spectral guise. On one hand, it\u2019s somewhat absurd in its sheer size and sense of being out-of-place, yet on the other, the creature invokes curiosity and wonder and stands sentry as an icon of brawn and resilience.<\/p>\n<p><em>The Rhinoceros in the Room<\/em> remains on view through July 5. Find more on Gov\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/itamargov\/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/gov-4-960x1440.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-469945\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"1440\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/gov-4-960x1440.jpg\" alt=\"The rear end of a giant inflated sculpture by Itamar Gov of a gray rhinoceros amid Romanesque church architecture\" class=\"wp-image-469978\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/gov-6-960x1440.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-469945\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"1440\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/gov-6-960x1440.jpg\" alt=\"The head of a giant inflated sculpture by Itamar Gov of a gray rhinoceros amid Romanesque church architecture\" class=\"wp-image-469980\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/gov-7-960x640.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-469945\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/gov-7-960x640.jpg\" alt=\"A leg and haunch of a giant inflated sculpture by Itamar Gov of a gray rhinoceros amid Romanesque church architecture\" class=\"wp-image-469981\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/gov-5-960x640.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-469945\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/gov-5-960x640.jpg\" alt=\"The head of a giant inflated sculpture by Itamar Gov of a gray rhinoceros amid Romanesque church architecture\" class=\"wp-image-469979\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"after-entry\" role=\"complementary\" aria-label=\"After Entry\">\n<section id=\"block-16\" class=\"widget widget_block widget_text\">\n<p><mark style=\"background-color:#88caf0\" class=\"has-inline-color\"><strong>Do stories and artists like this matter to you?<\/strong><\/mark> Become a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/members\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"118516\">Colossal Member<\/a> now, and support independent arts publishing.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"block-17\" class=\"widget widget_block\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-top is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div 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All images courtesy of the artist, Zilberman Gallery Berlin, and Kunstmuseum Magdeburg, shared with permission Itamar Gov Draws on History and Legend for \u2018The Rhinoceros in the Room\u2019 February 20, 2026 Art Kate Mothes Share Pin Email Bookmark You\u2019ve probably heard the idiom, \u201cthe elephant in the room,\u201d to describe when [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,270],"class_list":["post-1782387","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-thisiscolossal-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1782387","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1782387"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1782387\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1782387"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1782387"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1782387"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}