Troll Hunt

OUT FISHING: Troll hunters can discover this whimsical sculpture, a troll named Runde Rie, lounging by a lake in Roskilde, Denmark.

Thomas Dambo uses recycled materials to create art, including towering troll statues. Recently, he hid 10 of these massive sculptures made from scrap wood in secret locations around his home country of Denmark.

Volunteers helped Dambo build the giant trolls by repurposing things like old fences, broken floorboards, and storage pallets. “Trash is the best thing to make sculptures with,” says Dambo. “It’s already broken, so I don’t feel bad about wasting materials or the energy that originally made them.” Once a troll is ready, Dambo installs the sculpture in a secluded spot.

HOME SWEET HOME: A giant troll named Hans Hulehånd sits next to a scrap-wood cottage in Odense, Denmark.

Dambo titled his latest project “The Journey to the Giant Troldefolkefest.” He encourages curious troll hunters to discover all 10 of the hidden sculptures, which stand up to 6.5 meters (21 feet) tall, by following a coded treasure map on his website. One goal of the project, says Dambo, is to get people to go out and explore nature.

UNDER CONSTRUCTION: Volunteers help install this 15-foot-high troll sculpture in Breckenridge, Colorado, in August 2018.

’X’ MARKS THE SPOT: People can follow clues at trollmap.com to discover trolls hidden across Denmark.

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