What about a nice summer visit to “the world’s largest sculpture park made by a single artist”?

Thanks to my wonderful hosts, Petter and Mirry, I got the chance to stroll along this magnificent park in Oslo during my first visit in Norway in 2013. Vigelandsparken, or The Vigeland Park, was named after the artist, Gustav Vigeland (1869-1943). It is one of Norway’s most visited attractions. There are about 200 sculptures in the park, and the architectural layout was designed by Vigeland himself. It took a decade to finish Vigeland, ie, from 1939-1949, and what a splendid outcome it had! Just imagine a park being built during the World Wars?

Another interesting trivia about Vigeland: He designed the medal for the Nobel Peace Prize. 😉

Here are some of the statues and other sights in the park. The Sinnataggen, or the Angry Boy is perhaps the most famous one. Located on the Bridge, it is believed to bring good luck to anyone who touches its feet. It has become so popular that it starts to become an icon for Oslo.

There are five main sections in the park: The Main gate, the Bridge with the Children’s playground, the Fountain, the Monolith plateau and the Wheel of Life. It is possible to have a picnic in the grass, or feed the ducks and swans in the lake.

Now we go to the Monolith Hall, where there are “several of the original plaster models to the 36 granite sculptures on the Monolith plateau, as well as the Monolith itself. This sculpture was carved in one piece (hence the name Monolith), but it was first modelled in clay, and then casted in plaster in three parts, as displayed in the museum today” (Source: https://vigeland.museum.no/en/collection/om-samlingen). Surrounding the Monolith are crazy statues of naked men and women.

At the farthest end of the park is the Wheel of Life. The wheel is a symbol of eternity, and is composed of women, children and men holding on to each other. According to sources, this sculpture “sums up the dramatic theme of the entire park: Man’s journey from cradle to grave, through happiness and grief, through fantasy, hope and wishes of eternity.”

On a clear day, visitors can also catch a glimpse of the Holmenkollen. The Holmenkollbakken is a large ski jump hill with seats for 30,000 spectators. It’s a popular skiing spot all year round, and I got to visit it 2 years later (in 2015).

What I liked about the sculpture park, aside from the beautiful statues in creative poses and expressions, was the nature that surrounds it. There were lakes and trees and grasses to keep the ambiance fresh and cool.

Just like many parks in Scandinavia, entrance to Vigeland is free and it’s open 24/7. I liked the first visit so much that I visited the park several times later on. I also like bringing visiting friends and family to the park. More of my first visit in Oslo City in my next post! 😉 #spreadloveandpositivevibes