LISLE, Ill. — A Danish artist has built six giant troll statues scattered throughout an outdoor museum in a Chicago suburb.
Thomas Dambo’s “Troll Hunt” at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle was inspired by Scandinavian folklore and his love of the wilderness. Dambo arrived for an artist residency in April after crafting other art projects in Korea and Mexico.
More than 60 volunteers helped construct the up to 20-foot-tall statues on-site out of reclaimed and recycled wood, mostly from trees at the aboretum. The troll’s faces, hands and feet were created in Dambo’s Copenhagen studio.
Dambo says he hopes people who search for the trolls throughout the arboretum come away with a greater appreciation for nature.
The exhibit opens Friday and will likely run for at least a year. Officials said they’ll take down the trolls once the wood starts to break down and the sculptures are no longer safe.
The Troll Hunt officially opens June 22 at Morton Arboretum, 4100 Illinois 53 in Lisle. Visit the website at mortonarb.org.
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