Can giant trolls constructed from reclaimed wood help humankind feel more connected to nature? Danish recycling art activist Thomas Dambo believes they can. Six of his larger-than-life, folklore-inspired troll sculptures are now discoverable through November 10 by wandering a mile-long trail at the Filoli Historic House & Garden, where visitors will find them engaged in activities like planting a garden, reclining in the redwoods and hanging birdhouses in the oak woodlands. A nature play space invites young guests to engage further with the natural surroundings.
Featured photo: Sofus Lotus Troll. Photo by Gary Sexton
The TROLLS: Save the Humans exhibit at Filoli explores the intersection of folklore, poetry and human’s relationship to the natural environment and is part of Dambo’s larger global initiative, the Trail of a Thousand Trolls. So far, the traveling exhibit, launched in 2014, has brought more than 100 trolls to sites around the world in the US, Denmark, France, Germany, China, South Korea, Chile and beyond.
In this installment of the sculptural fairytale — the first set among the redwoods — six young activist trolls notice that humans have started harming the planet and set out to help them rediscover nature and be good stewards of the earth.
Each troll has their own personality:
Ronja Redeye has a gift for communication and knows how to speak words that humans understand. She greets visitors in front of the main house.
Rosa Sunfinger is a gentle troll who cares for plants and other green creatures with her life-giving fingers and always wears a soft, sunny smile.
Ibbi Pip is a handy, optimistic troll and a friend of all animals who tries to awaken humans’ compassion for their natural surroundings with colorful birdhouses.
Basse Buller is a wild child at heart, spreading his message in mud paint using symbols and shapes inspired by nature and making his marks with stones, leaves and sticks.
Kamma Can is a creator, hoping to inspire humans to find ways to reuse trash rather than throw it away.
Sofus Lotus is an introverted troll who is mindful of nature and all its beings. He was the first one to notice that something was wrong with the world, and that nature was changing its rhythm and ways.
The whimsical trolls invite both playful interaction and peaceful contemplation. Which one will be your favorite? “I’m so happy my trolls get to spend some time amongst the giant redwoods at Filoli,” Dambo says. “I spent a day hiking in the forest, and it’s a magical place where I know my trolls will feel at home.”
