Thomas Dambo is a Danish artist and a climate activist. He became popular through his new project, which is all about massive wooden troll sculptures. With the support of his team of 22 troll builders, he has used more than 1000 abandoned platelets to create them. They could build 10 wooden sculptures during the summer. Then, Dambo involved these troll sculptures in his new journey, called “Way of the Bird King” to the United States. From the East Coast to the West Coast, these wooden troll sculptures found their new homes for the next couple of years.
The journey started in New Jersey and ended in Washington, covering the Pacific Northwest significantly. Dambo and his team installed their troll sculptures in Portland, Oregon, and western Washington. The Scan Design Foundation, which was established to strengthen the friendship between Denmark and the United States, contributed to the “Way of the Bird King” in many ways. They took on the responsibility of organising troll sculptures in the Northwest because Dambo’s massive wooden troll sculptures were a good example of the strong relationship between the two countries.
According to Dambo, he loves to go on coast-to-coast road trips. When he was young, he had the opportunity to travel around Denmark. From that day on, he dreamed of travelling to a lot of countries and exploring the coasts, including the United States. So, the “Way of the Bird King” materialised his dream by allowing him to explore the United States from the West Coast to the East Coast.
Dambo has also stated that the purpose of the installation of these wooden troll sculptures is not only to build an attractive travel spot where people can visit and take pictures but also to remind people about their responsibility to protect nature. By using recycled or abandoned materials, he tries to emphasise the importance of using user-friendly and recyclable products. Moreover, these massive wooden troll sculptures are real-world examples of the harmony between human beings and nature.
Dambo participated in events, workshops, and interviews along with the installation of troll sculptures. He had the opportunity to interact with local communities, such as the Muckleshoot and Snoqualmie tribes. As a result of that, he could meet artist John Holliday, also known as Coyote who, is from the Muckleshoot tribe. The collaboration between locals and Dambo’s team was essential because Dambo wanted to make sure that their troll sculptures didn’t violate any traditional or cultural values of the respective tribes.
Lately, Dambo and Coyote became so close that even Coyote could visit Denmark and join the construction process of troll sculptures. They spent considerable time together and shared the cultural and traditional values of their origins. According to Coyote, Dambo is very concerned about protecting the environment. His main goal is to educate people about their environmental responsibilities. As he said, his tribe also works hard for the same. So he believes that their collaborations will contribute to the well-being of nature.
Dambo has also vlogged the entire tour and put it on YouTube as a video series so that he could reach more viewers and bring his message to more people. The “Way of the Bird King” will end in September. Although the tour is going to be over, his massive wooden troll sculptures will stay there to remind people about the importance of taking care of Mother Earth.
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