Trolls: Save
the Humans by
Thomas Dambo

Feb. 18 – Sept. 17: Experience Thomas Dambo’s exhibition of enormous folklore-inspired sculptures built from reclaimed materials as it makes its world premiere at the Garden. Trolls: Save the Humans blends art, nature and messages of sustainability in a unique outdoor art installation. The exhibition is Thomas Dambo’s latest exploration in crafting giant trolls – ranging from 15 feet tall to 25 feet wide – with an environmental call. Dambo tells an evolved story of listening and tending to nature, further building on the Nordic-inspired tales and artist-made poems surrounding the many other larger-than-life trolls that co-exist in various locations around the world. The all-new traveling exhibition will amaze and delight visitors of all ages with its whimsical sculptures, each created from reclaimed wood, highlighting the artist’s passion as a recycling art activist. The exhibition is produced by Imagine Exhibitions and is made possible with support from the Isdell Family Foundation.

Thomas Dambo is considered the world’s leading recycle artist and is famous for his various art installations around the world, most notably his giant troll sculptures. From a young age, Dambo’ parents engrained the value of recycling, from which his clever mind saw an opportunity to gather free materials to build, play and imagine.

Before embarking on the path building larger-than-life sculptures, Dambo has lived a diverse life. His multifaceted resume includes talents such as being a human beatbox and a graffiti/street artist. His music career as a rapper introduced him to creativity and building, as he curated his brand and built the sets for his over-the-top performances. Around the same time, Dambo enrolled at the internationally acclaimed Kolding Design School, where he got his master’s degree in interactive design and began building thousands of colorful birdhouses he would “tag” all over Denmark. Without any money to pay for his materials, Dambo returned to the roots his parents taught him and started dumpster diving to find limitless resources, which is still practiced in his artwork today.