Vigeland Park – Worlds Largest Sculpture Park

A man fights a lizard while another man gets attacked by babies. Sounds a little too fantastical? It all comes to life in Oslo’s Vigeland Park.

Oslo’s Vigeland Park, is the largest sculpture park in the world by a single artist, with over 200 pieces by Norwegian sculptor Gustav Vigeland. The collection, dubbed “The Weirdest Statues in the World” by The Daily Mail, includes everything from a woman embracing a giant lizard to a naked man fighting flying babies.

The main theme of the park is cycle of life. It is also about timelessness. Perhaps the “Wheel of life”, a sundial positioned at the end of an 850-meter axis, summarises the motive prevalent in the rest of the park. It is represents eternity, with four human figures and a baby locked in a circle, floating in harmony.

The best part about this park is that you don’t necessarily have to be an art enthusiast to enjoy the sculptures. These intriguing pieces will immediately hold your interest. You will find replica of naked human beings of all age groups in everyday situation, such as walking, sitting, holding hands, to more symbolic subjects such as “Man Attacked by Babies”.

The park runs along the boulevard in Oslo’s Frogner Park and consists of installations made from bronze and granite. The Monolith is one of the best installations in the park. It is a 14.12-meter high, highly symbolic sculpture consisting of 121 intertwined human figures, meant to represent the human desire to reach out to the divine. The carving of this monolith took over 14 years and involved work by the artist himself as well as 3 other stone carvers. In addition, 36 sculptural groups reside on the plateau around the monolith.

Another standout structure in the park is the “Fountain” which is surrounded by 20 other sculptures depicting all the stages of life from birth to death.  All the sculptures are set casually along Frogner Park’s walkways, such as the bridge designed by Vigeland himself.

Some pieces seem a little violent and disturbing but they create a beautiful contrast to the cheerful park. One such installation is Man Chasing Four Geniuses, which shows a man engaged in battle with a group of flying babies that apparently embody malicious spirits. One of the most famous sculptures, titled Angry Boy, depicts a toddler throwing a tantrum with amusing precision.

You can easily plan a picnic in the park with your friends and have a fun day admiring the artwork. If you are an art enthusiast, this place will certainly hold your attention for hours together. Art enthusiast or not, you cannot give this place a miss while in Oslo!

(Compiled by Mehakk Negi)

How to reach Vigeland Park?

The quickest way to reach Vigeland park from Oslo is by taking a taxi (takes around 8-10 minutes from the city center) or access line subway (takes around 20 minutes)

Best time to experience Vigeland Park:

The best time to visit Oslo is Spring, Summer and Autumn that is between March to September. In case you are heading to Norway for the Northern lights in winter and Oslo is a stopover destination, do make your way to the Vigeland Park.