Image | The voice from the wall
There is a place in Europe where magic exists. On the outskirts of Copenhagen is a forest in which giants can still be found. Like Odin, Thor or Loki, these creatures are part of Norse mythology and the artist Thomas Dambo wanted to make them an object of his art by creating very special wooden sculptures that blend perfectly with the Danish landscape. For an instant, those who visit this place can let their imagination run wild and dream that they are walking among giants.
How did the story originate?
At the beginning of 2016 Dambo and his team began to shape this project that was born from the interest of the local councils in creating something that would attract the attention of tourists outside the historic center of Copenhagen. According to the artist himself, at first he was asked to sculpt something in the center of the municipalities but he was reluctant and opted for the forests of that area of the country. So after convincing them, he began the construction of six friendly giants that took more than six months of work. By the end of that same year, the giants were already living in their habitat.
What message do these giants have?
Image | Ether Magazine
Thomas Dambo created his six giants using recycled wood (wooden fences, old pallets, wood from old sheds, and whatever else can be used) and anything similar that he could use. In his work he was not alone as he had the collaboration of local volunteers who share the artist's vision and his same eco-friendly spirit. After all, these six giants want to inspire people to take better care of the planet and help spread the message of the importance of recycling.
Dambo believes that his giants will last between five and ten years before they start to spoil. They are made with recycled materials and to be respectful with the environment to the point that the tallest of them, Tilde, measuring four meters and weighing a ton and a half, houses 28 birdhouses inside. Others are even bigger, like Thomas who is 17 meters tall, but is not standing up but lengthwise.
How to find them in the forest?
Image | Idealistic
Teddy Friendly, Oscar Under The Bridge, Sleeping Louis, Little Tilde, Thomas On The Mountain and Hill Top Trine live in close proximity to towns like Rødovre, Hvidovre, Vallensbæk, Ishøj, Albertslund and Høje Taastrup, all of which are close to Copenhagen. The project is presented as a search for a treasure that visitors must discover with the help of a map.
teddy-friendly
The first of the sculpture is Teddy Friendly made of recycled wood, like the other five giants by Thomas Dambo in the Danish capital. For the construction of this sculpture, Thomas Dambo's team had the help of a local training center. In gratitude for his work this giant was named after one of the teachers. Despite his dimensions, Teddy looks like a friendly monster with fur and long arms standing at the foot of a lake.
oscar under the bridge
The second of the sculptures is Oscar Under The Bridge made with the wood of an old water mill. The work is named after an artist from Chile who helped in the project of this sculpture located under a bridge in the forest.
sleeping louis
The giant Louis sleeps in a forest near the Danish town of Rodovre, among trees and animals. This creature's sleep is so deep that it sleeps with its mouth ajar, through which a person can fit. To build it Dambo and his team this time had the collaboration of a group of young volunteers from an organization that helps the unemployed to gain experience before re-entering the labor market.
Image | EterMagazine
Hill Trop Tine
Resting atop a small hill in Hvidovre sits Hill Top Trine. It is one of the most fun because the visitor can climb into the palm of his hand and have a beautiful perspective of the forest as well as take some fun photos there. The sculpture is named after one of the volunteers who worked on one of the other hidden giants.
Little tilde
Within a park of approximately 50 hectares and with two connected lakes, very close to the town of Vallensbæk Mose is Little Tilde. To build it, Thomas Dambo also counted on the collaboration of two local artisans who gave the giant their name.
thomas on the mountain
Perched high on a hill, Thomas overlooks Albertslund Township. So whoever finds it will be able to see the beautiful landscape of the area next to it. It is named after the artist himself and to build it the team had the help of a group of young volunteers from a local school, as well as a couple of older people.