Questions, Answers& a few fun facts“We are excited to showcase the creative ingenuity of Dambo’s work toNorthwest audiences in this ambitious exhibition. His message of turning trash
into treasure and building community through art will resonate with all who
experience his mystical troll sculptures.”
Fidelma McGinn
President, Scan Design Foundation

What is theWay of the Bird King?
The Northwest Troll project, themed “Way of the Bird King,”
includes six sites in the Pacific Northwest where Danish
environmental artist, Thomas Dambo, installed large-scale
whimsical Trolls, each contributing to an underlying
environmental story. This project is the latest in Dambo’s
global Troll installations that now exceed 100 sites acrossEurope, Asia, Australia and the US. The PNW site locations
include Portland, Bainbridge Island, Issaquah, West Seattle,
Vashon Island and Ballard.

Who is Thomas
Dambo?
Thomas Dambo is a Danish artist, environmental
art activist and one of the world’s leading
recycling artists. His prolific work spans over 20
years and can be found in Europe, Asia,
Australia and the United States. He has beencreating giant trolls, made fromrecycled/reclaimed materials for the past tenyears, and to date, he has built over 120. By
using the stories and mythologies of hischildhood, trolls became a natural vehicle tomarry his large-scale artwork with his attention
to the natural world.

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Why Trolls?

Dr. Lotta Gavel Adams
tudies,SnaviaindnacS,tariemE
Professor
University of Washington
Mikil. Boom, Belgim.
Photo: Thomas Dambo“If you ventu
re out into their(the troll’s) w
ilderness, youmost likely returnwith somethi
ng valuable—
gold, experience.”

Hanna Halerod, Allerod, Denmark
Photo: ThomasDambo

Jonas Welle
ndorf
Associate Pr
ofessorof Old Norse, University ofCalifornia Be
rkeleyTrolls, originating from Norse mythology andfolklore, draw their magic from nature. As
fierce protectors of the natural world, they
are not always friends to humans, who tend
to disrupt the trolls' natural environment. Thetrolls visiting the Pacific Northwest have adesire to help ‘the little people’ – us humans.
Spending time exploring, troll hunting andbeing in nature are core elements of theNW Trolls experience.
By using trolls as his medium, Thomas
Dambo is able to unite his environmental
messaging with his heritage and the stories
from his childhood.
Explore further: Trolls: Legendary Creaturesof Myth and Folklore - Oddity Hive

How were the trolls built?
When were thetrolls built?
In the summer of 2023,
over a span of 7 weeks,
the Dambo crew anda small army ofvolunteers completed
the 6 installations.

What are they
made from?
How long did it
take?
A troll takes roughly 7-9 days
to build. The trolls were built
concurrently during the 7 week
timeframe, with two trolls
being worked on
simultaneously.

How muchmaterial is used?
Each troll is comprised from 140-200
used pallets, roughly 600-800ft ofstructural lumber, 10,000 screws,
assorted decorative elements.

A combination of structuralwood, used pallets, andfound decorations includingshells, tree branches, stones
and other organic material.

How were thematerials sourced?
Each site sourced its own materials,
but almost all of the recycled andreclaimed culled lumber, construction
scrap wood, used pallets anddecorative materials were donatedfrom local businesses and individuals.

Where were thetrolls built?
The head, hands and feet of eachtroll were built by the Dambo
team in his Denmark studio.
Those parts were shipped via
container to the US. Starting withthese elements, the Dambo teamand local volunteers constructed
the body and bulk of thestructures in situ. There is a good
bit of improvisation and artistic“eye” that goes into the creation,
siting, position, attitude andcharacter of each troll.

Are they publiclyaccessible?
Yes! All the trolls are locatedwithin publicly accessiblelocations. Each installation istastefully integrated into public
settings that already have trails.
Most of the trolls are in ADA
accessible locations and do not
require a long hike. Please seesite visitor guides for specificinformation.

more details...
Can we touch
the trolls?
Yes, the intention is that
visitors can interact andengage with the Trolls.
Visitors are free to hug
and/or take pictures withthe trolls.

Can we climb
them?
No climbing is allowed.
Signage requests visitors
refrain from climbing thesculptures to avoid injury andto ensure that the trolls canbe enjoyed for many years tocome.

How will the trolls bemaintained?
Each site will oversee ongoing maintenance.
In the unlikely event that more substantive
work is needed, Thomas may be reengaged.
SDF is working to create a comprehensive
maintenance guide to assist site partners andshare resources to optimize maintenanceand ongoing upkeep.

How long will thetrolls survive?
By virtue of the recycled materials,
and the PNW climate, the trolls
are intended to be temporary
installations. Each site partner has
committed to hosting thesculptures for a minimum of threeyears with the hope and goal ofmaintaining the trolls for as longas possible. Many of the sites areequipped to repair and maintainthe trolls for many years to come.
Each site requests that in order tokeep the trolls healthy, visitors
treat them and their surroundings
with care.

Talk about the Volunteers
Volunteers were vital to this project,here are some fun facts about them:volunteers disassembled
over 1000 pallets.
volunteers ranged in age
from 10-80
one family had three
generations working
together on a site

How many volunteers were involved andwhat did they do?
Each site had approximately 50-60 volunteers to
help build each troll. The project also needed fundraisers, meal & lodging donors, media assistance,and other skills to bring the trolls to life. In total,each site required approximately 100 volunteers,and 600-700 volunteers overall.

This is a community project at its finest!

Cultural Connections
Thomas consulted with tribal groups and Nordic representatives tobest integrate the shared values of protecting the PNW’s naturalresources. For some sites, more involved collaboration was nurtured
and factored into the creative process.
Bruun Idun: Muckleshoot artist, Coyote, carved aflute with killer whales, symbolizing the call forwhales back to the Salish Sea. He also wrapped
her horn in traditional materials made of cedar
and abalone shells.
Jakob Two Trees: Ginger de los Angeles from theSnoqualmie Tribe gifted braided cedar bark hairtie, bracelets and a necklace.

Ole Bolle: Nordia House built a traditional
Fogelbo (meaning “bird’s nest”) house to lure
Ole Bolle.

“This project celebrates the humanexperience of art and theconnection ... and our shared valueof environmental stewardship. It
uses the power of storytelling toengage people of all ages to learn
about the environment and thesteps we can all take to better
preserve and protect it.”
Cat Martin

Arts & Communities Program Director,
Paul G. Allen Family Foundation“Dambo brings messages to theworld about taking care of ourplanet and not being wasteful ...
Our tribe embraces the samevalues, so it was anatural collaboration”
CoyoteArtist, Muckleshoot Duwamish
Tribal member

What is the be
st way to visit?

There are many w
ays to visit the trolls.
Walking, biking, and public transpo
rtationare all in keepingwith our sustaina
bilitygoals. Understan
dably, many peop
le willuse motor vehicle
s to travel to eac
h site.
Visitors are highly
encouraged to u
tilizenon-motorized tr
ansportation
whenever possib
le.

Ferry info?

TrollHuntPlease visit
Washington StateorFerries | WSDOT.
download either
WSDOT or theFerryFriend app.

Visitor Info
Site specific visitor info
including parking, trail
details, ADA, restrooms,ferry, adventure lab links, etc.
can be found on the website.
www.nwtrolls.org

Make it an adventu
reAdventureLab(R) has teamed up
with Scan Design Fo
undation andthe individual site p
artners tocreate fun, interacti
ve andlocation-based troll
treasure hunts.
Each destination presents aunique set of discov
eries to bemade on the way tofindingthe troll.

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Very fun!! Lotsofgreat history!!!

Tell us more about

Geocaching!

AdventureLab(R) has teamed up with Scan
Design Foundation and the individual site
partners to create fun, interactive andlocation-based troll treasure hunts.

Geoaching Adventure LabGet OutandExplore!

Get Inon theFun!

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odeinrategdna,
sgodwithWho is overseeing this cool project?
Project Management

Funding

The project is being managed by
Scan Design Foundation (SDF) which
advances Danish-American relations
by supporting cultural exchanges
focused on environmental
sustainability. The Paul G. Allen Family
Foundation provided major funding
and supported communications
outreach. Media partners include theEmbassy of Denmark, Visit Seattle,
Washington State Tourism and thePaul G. Allen Family Foundation. The
six site partners include both private
and public entities with a full list ofparticipating sponsors at nwtrolls.org

The initial seed funding for theproject was generously donated by
SDF in partnership with the Paul G.
Allen Family Foundation. Additional
funding for each site-specific troll
was generously donated bypassionate individuals, local
businesses and, on occasion, somemunicipal public funds. 501(c)3fiscal sponsorship is provided by
the National Foundation for
Danish America

Site Links
There are currently six trolls in Western Washington and Oregon. The locationsrepresent a range of non-profit organizations, public agencies and local parkdistricts. To learn more about each site, and site specific details about the individualtrolls, links to each location are below.
Portland, OR (Ole Bolle). Nordic Northwest
Ballard, WA (Frankie Feetsplinters). National Nordic Museum
West Seattle, WA (Bruun Idun). Lincoln Park
Issaquah, WA (Jakob Two Trees). Issaquah's Troll

Bainbridge Island, WA (Pia the Peacekeeper). Sakai Park
Vashon Island, WA (Oscar the Bird King). Vashon TrollOtherWhat are the educational components?
Teachers of all age groups are using the Trolls for educational purposes. Variousprograms throughout the three years of this exhibition will facilitate learning
opportunities for folks of all ages.

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Has there been any impact on local businesses?
Local businesses have seen an increase in their visitors. Visitors from all over thecountry and world are coming to see the trolls, and that influx of new faces is awelcome and happy consequence of the entire installation. People have reported
making new friendships and sharing troll hunting stories as a huge joy and a largepart of the fun.
Additional Questions/Comments?
If you have additional questions or comments, we’d love to hear from you.
nwtrolls@gmail.com

Happy Troll Hunting!