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Bernheim Forest Giants from Trash to Giant Trolls…
The Bernheim forest giants were created by Copenhagen, Denmark artist Thomas “Dambo” Winther.
Dambo began building objects like birdhouses and box cars from discarded wood at an early age. When he noticed the amount of wood and other building materials that were left as trash at city construction sites, he was inspired to repurpose this landfill-bound resource to create a major street art project – “Happy City Birds” – taking the cue from urban birds who naturally upcycle trash and other scraps to build their nests.
Since then, Dambo has built more than 3500 birdhouses, interactive walls and giant sculptures, ranging from small, charming birdhouses to large urban murals, totems and giant forest trolls, completely constructed of recycled wood and other materials, and spread them in cities and forests all over the world.
Thomas Dambo studied to become a carpenter, and then, to focus on the creative aspect of building attended the Kolding School of Design. After graduation, he opened and operated a workshop in Copenhagen while also creating unique projects as a street artist.
He is well known around the world for his Happy City Birds projects and for interactive Happy Wall pixel installations and large recycle sculptures and installations,
Not to mention…Giant Trolls.
Originating with six giant troll creatures scattered in various wooded areas around Copenhagen, Dambo created the friendly giants from recycled products mainly found in the area. A treasure hunt of sorts, the trolls are an exciting addition to the forest areas and an educational example of recycling and upcycling to bring art out of the museums and into nature.
Since the original six trolls around Copenhagen, Dambo has initiated a friendly migration of these giants to forests and arboretums all over the world, including areas around Chicago, Los Angeles and now in the historic and beautifully preserved Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest in Shepherdsville, Kentucky.
“I think there it is a beautiful aesthetic to the story, that someone cut down a tree to make something in wood that was then discarded, and now I put that wood back in a forest and made a big and beautiful sculpture. For me the sculptures represent this, that we should think twice before we discard our things, because they could become something magnificent,” Dambo told Lonely Planet Travel News.
