In spring 2026, ARKEN Museum of Contemporary Art will open the doors to a spectacular exhibition conceived by the Danish artist Thomas Dambo. Thomas Dambo is known worldwide for his monumental troll sculptures made from recycled materials, inviting audiences into play, exploration, and imagination. His works speak directly to us – and with their focus on discovery and togetherness, they open up encounters with art through curiosity, physical engagement, and play.

Thomas Dambo is world-renowned for transforming waste into art. Over the past decade, he has created more than 100 troll sculptures, placed all around the globe. These sculptures celebrate the intersection of art, nature, fantasy, and the reuse of what others have thrown away. They inspire reflection and wonder through physical play and shared experiences.

After a youth shaped by hip-hop, graffiti, and street art, Dambo began experimenting with large-scale installations made from recycled materials. A lifelong advocate of upcycling and public participation, Thomas Dambo continually challenges the boundaries between art, fairy tale, and activism. His works have transformed landscapes and local communities, drawing audiences from around the world into a playful yet urgent conversation about waste, wonder, and our relationship with the planet.

Local trolls
In 2016, Thomas Dambo created De Seks Glemte Kæmper (The Six Forgotten Giants), a series of giant troll sculptures placed in natural areas around Copenhagen’s Western Suburbs. Since then, more have been added across Denmark, and his “Troll Hunt” became a viral success and remains a popular excursion for families. The international counterpart, “Troll Hunt” in the United States, brought global recognition to his practice. The six large sculptures hidden in the landscape broke visitor records, attracting more than 1.24 million guests in the first year.

ARKEN Museum for Samtidskunst now aims to become the world’s first museum to bring Dambo inside ARKEN in Ishøj, where one of his trolls can already be found close by in the natural area surrounding the museum. ARKEN has invited Dambo to create an exhibition where recycling is gold, and with a twinkle in its eye, offers us a new perspective on what waste really is, how we consume, and how we can rethink our shared responsibility.

Workshop, Recycled Floor and Creative Community
The exhibition will be rich in storytelling and exploration. Visitors will be able to explore the exhibition and then try their hand at building a troll in the dedicated troll workshop. Here, guests can create their own trolls using ARKEN’s former shop and foyer flooring, which was recently removed. The trolls made by visitors will demonstrate how, through simple actions, we can transform our waste into something that spreads laughter and joy — and helps us see possibilities in what has been discarded, especially when we create together.

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You can book a private tour of The Garbage Man - Thomas Dambo here.

The exhibition is supported by
Augustinus Fonden
Spar Nord Fonden