FARGO — Some gnarly creature is creeping into downtown Fargo, but residents have no reason to be afraid.
An arm extending out of the back side of the Synclaire building at 613 1st Ave. N. recently appeared, and along with it a sign linking the sculpture to
the five trolls that popped up in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota
, earlier this summer.
The trolls are the work of sculptor Thomas Dambo, famous for crafting giant creatures out of recycled lumber and other materials.
The Fargo sculpture, visible from Roberts Alley, is one of three portals that depict the arm of a troll found in Detroit Lakes City Park. That sculpture, Alexa’s Elixir, kicks off the treasure hunt Dambo designed to find all of his trolls. After the fifth troll is found, treasure hunters will discover clues to finding the Golden Rabbit, another large sculpture by Dambo.
John Lamb / The Forum
“Over the last decade, I have built 138 giant recycled sculptures in 17 countries and 19 American states all across the world. And I make them in a treasure hunt, so I hide them,” the Danish artist told WDAY TV earlier this month.
Trolls can be found at the online map,
.
All of the trolls are on public property and are accessible by roads or trails.
The Fargo portal in Roberts Alley may be currently blocked by construction work in the alley.
The Detroit Lakes project includes
the largest troll Dambo has built, Long Leif, measuring 36 feet tall.
WDAY News
Dambo has constructed trolls on over 130 sites in Europe, Asia, Australia and North America.
About 400 volunteers aided Dambo’s crew in constructing the bodies of the Detroit Lakes trolls out of recycled material, stones and branches, but the heads and hands were created by his team in Denmark.
According to a page about the display on
, Alexa is a brewer of potions who uses her portals to reach out and help solve problems around the world.
Each of the portals show Alexa’s arm extending from a mirrored surface, holding a birdhouse.
Visitors are encouraged to take photos of the structures and touch them, but are asked not to climb on them.
According to Project 412, which promotes life and culture in Detroit Lakes, the trolls are permanent installations.
“We are committed to keeping them alive as long as possible and as long as the public enjoys them,” the website said.