Artist’s unique creatures to make U.S. debut at The North Carolina Arboretum
There are a lot of strange creatures in the Smoky Mountains. Some of them are real – we’re looking at you Hellbender salamander – and others are rumored – we’d look at you feral people if we could see you. But a Danish artist is bringing something no one has ever seen in the Smokies before … trolls.
Trolls: A Field Study by Thomas Dambo will debut on Nov. 15 and last through Feb. 17 at the North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville. Through Jan. 4, some of the trolls will also appear as part of the Arboretum’s annual holidays event, Evenings in the Gardens at Winter Lights.
The event will be a unique combination of art and nature. Dambo’s gigantic trolls live as permanent or semi-permanent residents of parks, green spaces, and other site-specific locations around the world. Inspired by creatures from folklore, Dembo imbues his trolls with animation wrought from recycled materials.
What is the North Carolina Arboretum?
Essentially? It’s a zoo for plants and trees. A 434 acre public garden, part of the University of North Carolina system. Located within the Pisgah National Forest, it features an extensive collection of plants. It also offers a wide array of educational programs and events. There’s a plethora of gardens and more than 17 miles of trails.
It has a beautiful display of Bonsai trees and a wide variety of children’s program, and year-round events including Winter Lights, which is a spectacular open-air walk-through light show illuminating the gardens with over one million lights.
The Arboretum is located within the Bent Creek Experimental Forest just south of Asheville and adjacent to the Blue Ridge Parkway at Milepost 393. It began 35 years ago on land that was originally part of the Biltmore Estate. Well, originally it was Cherokee land but it was part of the Biltmore Estate as well.
It is across from the site of an arboretum that was planned and designed by George Vanderbilt and noted landscape architect Frederick Law Olmstede but was never built. In the 1980s, a group of local leaders and civic groups came together to pick up that original vision and make it reality. The first garden was dedicated in 1990. Today, the garden attracts visitors from around the world. There is no cost to enter the Arboretum, but there is a parking fee.
Who is Thomas Dambo?
A Danish born artist who hopes to inspire people to explore and have adventures in nature while showing that recycled materials can still have a place in the world. He is a musician street artist and scenic designer.
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What about the exhibition?
A total of 12 of Dambo’s trolls – produced with the group Imagine, a global leader in immersive storytelling and experiential design – are coming to Arboretum. It’s not the first time Dambo and Imagine have partnered for a Troll exhibition in the U.S. However, it is the debut of Trolls: A Field Study.
The goal is for the friendly and fanciful sculptures to inspire wonder and intrigue. They will appear at the Arboretum formal gardens and along its many trails.
Though they are 7 to 9 feet tall, Dambo calls these “baby trolls.” They are made from recycled materials and have distinctive personalities. Taks is their leader, and each will reveal a little something about humanity from a fresh perspective. The Arboretum will offer a treasure map and finding each of the 12 amounts to something of a scavenger hunt.
“We are beyond thrilled to host Thomas Dambo’s Trolls: A Field Study with our partners at Explore Asheville this winter,” said Arboretum Executive Director Drake Fowler. “The North Carolina Arboretum’s gardens and trails are the perfect setting for the curious nature of these delightful and engaging sculptures. Thomas Dambo’s use of reclaimed wood resonates deeply, especially considering the changes to our landscape after Hurricane Helene. With these trolls, guests will discover a renewed sense of fun, exploration, play and adventure.”
Will you visit the trolls in North Carolina? Let us know in the comments and on the socials.