With help from a crew of local and visiting volunteer builders, Danish artist and activist Thomas Dambo is constructing his first troll sculpture in an indoor setting, thanks to a collaboration with the California Nature Art Museum in downtown Solvang
Dambo is best known for creating more than 100 outdoor troll sculptures across 17 countries.
“I am excited to build my first troll living inside. … The troll will feel right at home in the charming little American Danish town of Solvang, and it will be my first permanent sculpture in California,” Dambo said in press materials.
The artist’s Solvang sculpture will debut at the California Nature Art Museum on Sunday, Feb. 2. Prior to the sculpture’s premiere, Dambo will take part in an art talk event, on Thursday, Jan. 30, at 7 p.m. at the Solvang Veterans Memorial Building. Attendees can look forward to hearing about Dambo’s career and use of recycled materials to create his colossal wooden trolls during the talk.
To construct his first Solvang troll, Dambo and his team used a plethora of donated materials, including more than 80 wooden pallets from local businesses and wineries, and about 30 wooden wine barrels of various sizes.
“The city of Solvang lauds Thomas Dambo’s environmentally minded efforts, and we hope that this troll will serve as yet another proverbial bridge between Solvang and Denmark,” Solvang City Manager Randy Murphy said in press materials.
Dambo described his mission as a recycling artist and activist as “waste no more.”
“Our world is drowning in trash while we are running out of natural resources. I spend my life showing the world that beautiful things can be made from trash, and I give new life to discarded materials by turning them into large-scale artworks,” Dambo said in press materials. “These projects come to life using hundreds of tons of recycled materials, working in and with local communities—who are the co-creators of the art I make. … My aim is to build 1,000 trolls using recycled materials all over the world.”
The California Nature Art Museum’s upcoming installation of Dambo’s work received support from various sponsors, including the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, Allan Hancock College, Schiele Family Foundation, and several local residents and businesses.
Visit calnatureartmuseum.org for more info on the installation, as well as a link to submit online donations. Those who donate $250 or more will be listed on a sponsor board in the museum’s lobby. The museum is located at 1511-B Mission Drive, Solvang.
This article appears in Jan 16-26, 2025.