20
The Faroe Islands
….a treasure trove of public art & sculpture
written by Caroline Wheaton
by Caroline Wheaton
The Faroe Islands boasts a population of just 53,000 people (so kind of half the size
of Woking!) but, I swear its public sculpture per capita would give any big city a run for
its money. (No data used for that statement, but it was a strong feeling!)
Sculpture abounds, particularly the stunning works by Hans Pauli Olson, and every
small community seems to have commissioned some kind of public art for one or
other of their communal areas. You will find sculpture next to supermarkets, on
roundabouts, even in underground car tunnels.
There were bas-relief works on buildings, abstract metal swirls on the sides of factories and fabulous murals to boot.
Their National Art Museum is small but full of a wide range of works which are grouped by three elements so important to the islands: sea, stone and landscape. A full size pilot whale made of thousands of miniature plastic soldiers, signals pointedly at the fight against ocean pollution and climate change, whilst acknowledging the whale-hunting heritage of this small island people.
They even see sculpture in their natural rock formations, with Elephant Rock, a site to behold as you round one inlet around the Vestmanna sea cliffs.
A remote and unforgiving landscape, the islands are a beautiful break from the mainland and an artistic treat for anyone visiting.
The Faroe Islands boasts a population of just 53,000 people (so kind of half the size
of Woking!) but, I swear its public sculpture per capita would give any big city a run for
its money. (No data used for that statement, but it was a strong feeling!)
Sculpture abounds, particularly the stunning works by Hans Pauli Olson, and every
small community seems to have commissioned some kind of public art for one or
other of their communal areas. You will find sculpture next to supermarkets, on
roundabouts, even in underground car tunnels.
There were bas-relief works on buildings, abstract metal swirls on the sides of factories and fabulous murals to boot.
Their National Art Museum is small but full of a wide range of works which are grouped by three elements so important to the islands: sea, stone and landscape. A full size pilot whale made of thousands of miniature plastic soldiers, signals pointedly at the fight against ocean pollution and climate change, whilst acknowledging the whale-hunting heritage of this small island people.
They even see sculpture in their natural rock formations, with Elephant Rock, a site to behold as you round one inlet around the Vestmanna sea cliffs.
A remote and unforgiving landscape, the islands are a beautiful break from the mainland and an artistic treat for anyone visiting.