By: Jason Shen
Thomas Dambo is a Danish artist famous for his towering wooden trolls that sent fans on a worldwide quest to find his latest creation. He has created a complex treasure hunt to find “Moon Mother,” his 100th troll sculpture, who he said has “crawled into the most secret spot in the forest” to give birth.
Thomas’ giant figures are inspired by Scandinavian folk tales and are often located off the beaten path to tempt children and adults to venture out into nature and to show what you can do with recycled materials. To find Moon Mother, fans will have to piece together codes placed near his existing trolls which are located across the globe. “I decided to make a super-secret one and make it an intricate treasure hunt that leads you around all the other ones I’ve made through the years,” Dambo told AFP.
While his giant troll statues are dotted around the world, reaching from a forest in Germany to the South Korean Mountains, most of these giant trolls are either located in the United States or Denmark (Thomas Dambos’ native country). According to the artist, his sculptures have been visited by about 10 million people. Each sculpture is unique, with its own name, design, and personality. Not all are still standing. Hurricane Maria, in 2017 took out a troll named Hector Protector in Puerto Rico.