Thomas Dambo's First Museum Exhibition Opens at Arken
Thomas Dambo, known for his giant troll sculptures made from recycled wood, is set to open his debut museum exhibition, 'The Garbage Man,' at the Arken Museum of Contemporary Art near Copenhagen. The show runs from Sunday through Nov. 29, 2026. Dambo, 47, has created nearly 200 trolls over a decade, placing them in remote locations from Scandinavia to California. The exhibition features a landscape of garbage, including a human sculpture made from trash, alongside his signature trolls. Unlike his outdoor installations, visitors will not be allowed to touch the artworks. Curator Rasmus Stenbakken expects an influx of first-time visitors to the museum. Dambo, who has a large global following similar to Banksy, has long been popular with the public but only now receives institutional recognition, stating, 'I am not the weirdo in the forest anymore.'
Key facts
- Thomas Dambo's debut museum exhibition 'The Garbage Man' opens at Arken Museum of Contemporary Art.
- Exhibition runs from Sunday through Nov. 29, 2026.
- Dambo has created nearly 200 trolls from recycled wood over a decade.
- Artworks are installed in off-the-beaten-track spots from Scandinavia to California.
- Visitors are not allowed to touch the trolls or garbage piles at the museum.
- Curator Rasmus Stenbakken expects many first-time visitors.
- Dambo has a huge worldwide following, comparable to Banksy.
- Dambo said, 'I am not the weirdo in the forest anymore.'
Entities
Artists
- Thomas Dambo
- Banksy
Institutions
- Arken Museum of Contemporary Art
Locations
- Copenhagen
- Denmark
- Roskilde
- Scandinavia
- California