One of the most thrilling perks of my career in national television advertising was the opportunity to attend the Olympic Games, as two of my clients,  Coca-Cola and McDonald’s were major sponsors.  In 1994 the Winter Games were held in Lillehammer, Norway. For those who might not remember, these Games had unforgettable moments- most particularly the Tonya Harding/Nancy Kerrigan knee attack drama.  I had fantastic seats for the free final skate – row two  – and when Ms. Harding tearfully stopped mid-performance to show the judges that her skate lace had ripped – her raised leg was placed right on the railing in front of my seat.

But I digress- a side trip  on a Sunday before leaving Norway  brought us to Vigeland Park in Oslo. To set the scene, I am with my 14-year-old daughter and my Coke client – who is also a good friend.  We had been told that this park contained “very interesting” statues. The artist, Norwegian sculptor Gustav Vigeland spent his lifetime on his artistic obsession and  dedication to the human form.  The sculptures range in topic from representation of humans in everyday situations, such as walking, sitting, holding hands,  to highly abstract works.  Even topped with snow the sculptures were impressive, despite the minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit wind chill factor:

Many years later I once again visited Vigeland Park, now able to see it in all its glory, with the statues in stark contrast to the green lawns and multicolored flowers. There are over 200 statues, all amazingly intimate and expressive, showing the many faces of humanity and the human experience.

“The Monolith” is the focal point of the park.  It is a 39.76 feet high, highly symbolic sculpture consisting of 121 intertwined human figures, meant to represent the human desire to reach out to the divine. The carving of this monolith took over 14 years and involved work by the artist himself as well as 3 other stone carvers.

The Vigeland Fountain  features a central basin held aloft by six figures representing different ages, symbolizing the human life cycle. Twenty tree groups with human figures border the fountain, further exploring the human life cycle  from birth to death.

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The individual sculptures along the park are astounding in their depiction of everyday life and emotion:

 

A few sculptures invite the viewer’s interpretation – so I will share without commentary:

This last sculpture is one of the most popular and has some wild stories attached to it:

He is called “Sinnataggen” which means  ‘irate child.”  This statue is so iconic in rivals the popularity of Copenhagen;s  “Little Mermaid.”  FYI there appears to be a healthy competition between Norway and Denmark which I will delve into in a later post.   Many visitors as well as locals have previously thought touching the statue for good luck.  Unfortunately this contact caused oxidation to the bronze statue – you can see the most favorite “touching spots’ in the above and below photos.

To close, here are a few more unusual sculptures  for your perusal: