Copenhagen-based artist Thomas Dambo’s trolls – possibly the most famous examples to come out of Denmark since the ones with the neon-coloured coiffures – have been marvelled at for years by the people of Denmark.

A huge hit with rambling parents and children, his ‘Six Forgotten Giants’ reside in six western municipalities in Greater Copenhagen. They were built in nature to encourage troll hunters to find adventure and appreciate the wilderness, and they have garnered him international acclaim.

Today his works truly span the globe. In fact, just ahead of the Coronavirus Crisis striking, Dambo was building a troll in Puerto Rico, but as the situation worsened he elected to return home to Copenhagen.

Now it seems fitting, after much of society was shuttered in their homes during the coronavirus outbreak, that his latest work, built out of his workshop in Nordhavn, has been placed near his own home.

The troll, made entirely from recycled material, can be found in a secret location in Nordhavn where he is tugging a rope hitched to a boat behind him.

Recycled art
Like Dambo’s past trolls, ‘Captain Nalle’ is made mostly from salvaged wood and with the help of local labour and volunteers.

Before the Coronavirus Crisis hit, 2020 had been shaping up to be a big year for Dambo, who had planned to complete 25 projects in eight different countries, which he was forced to abandon.

Dambo told TV2 he is “not an art painter sitting and painting alone while drinking red wine”, and that he was eager to resume building projects with his partners. He also stated that he wanted to make the most of his time in his own country away from his other projects.

More trolls are set to be assembled and installed in the coming months around Denmark that will range from 4.5 to 6.5 metres tall.

Captain Nalle is only ‘chapter 1’ of a ten-part series of trolls that will tell a full story to those who search for them using the website trollmap.com, and Dambo will reveal clues on his social media pages on just where to find them.