Discovering Thomas Dambo's Trolls

When I got my start at the Exploratorium in San Francisco we put the biggest emphasis on keeping the physical phenomenon the main thing and not focusing a lot on a certain type of imagination and storytelling. It wasn’t until I collaborated with Gever Tulley and the Tinkering School summer program that I started to see how adding in playful narratives can augment the tinkering process. In current experiments with early childhood tinkering and digitally programmed creations I’ve been thinking about how to incorporate whimsical stories and characters into the making process.

One artist who I recently discovered that illustrates the potential for combining physical making with the act of story telling and creating new worlds is the Danish artist Thomas Dambo. He uses reclaimed wood to make giant troll sculptures in (mostly) natural settings all around the world. You can check out the ‘Troll Map’ on his website and read little poems, stories and biographical sketches about each of the trolls on his website. Beyond the really amazing installations he shows a sense of playful world-building and narrative in the body of work.

Last summer I had the chance to check out two of the trolls in Northern Ireland near the Sperrin Mountains and OM Dark Sky Park. It was so cool to see these giant sculpture come into view from walking down a small pathway. They each had so many interesting details and playful elements and both told a story specific to the place and culture of the area.

And over the winter holidays I had the chance to check out a third troll at the California Nature and Art Museum in Solvang. This troll “got stuck” inside the building and although it was a little less impressive to see the sculpture out of the natural environment I loved the little touches like the smashed paintings inside the room.

I think the combination of compelling build, environmental message and imaginative story that can be found in the work of Thomas Dambo can inspire new approached to making and tinkering projects. While there’s something compelling about exploring things like electricity, mechanisms and motions on there own, connecting to stories and characters can widen the walls that participants can explore. I’m looking forward to checking out more trolls in the world and bringing that inspiration to new tinkering workshops and projects.