July 31, 2025
TROLLS: Save the Humans by Thomas Dambo to Open at The Wild Center
A whimsical outdoor art exhibition made of all reclaimed wood exploring folklore, poetry, and the human relationship to nature is set to open on June 1, 2026
Tupper Lake, NY – As part of its 20th anniversary celebration, The Wild Center is proud to announce the arrival of TROLLS: Save the Humans, a monumental outdoor exhibition by Danish recycling artist Thomas Dambo, on view June through October 2026. This all-new exhibition, featuring six of Thomas Dambo’s signature folklore-inspired troll sculptures built from reclaimed materials, will amaze and delight visitors of all ages. Like many of Dambo’s sculptures, each troll has been created from reclaimed wood, highlighting the artist’s passion as a recycling art activist. His vision is to create art that will inspire people to explore and create new adventures in nature while demonstrating that trash can be turned into something beautiful and unique.
Produced by Imagine in collaboration with the artist, “Trolls: Save the Humans” blends art, nature, and messages of sustainability in a unique outdoor art installation. Known for his ability to make larger-than-life-sized troll sculptures from reclaimed wood and other natural found materials, “Trolls: Save the Humans” is Thomas Dambo’s latest exploration in crafting giant trolls with an environmental call. In this new traveling exhibition, Dambo tells an evolved story of listening and tending to nature, further building on the Nordic-inspired tales and artist-made poems surrounding the other 101 larger-than-life trolls that co-exist in various locations around the world, including Denmark, US, France, Germany, China, South Korea, Chile and more.
“Trolls: Save the Humans” is the latest chapter in the worldwide sculpture fairytale, written by Dambo one installation at a time. In the new installation, six young activist trolls have noticed that humans are disconnected from nature and have started harming the planet. These young trolls set out to help humans learn how to live in harmony with the planet. Full of personality and activism, each troll has a name and plays a distinctive role in the tribe, becoming role models for us humans to learn from. For example, Ronja Redeye, who is the leader of the group, has a voice like whistling leaves in the wind; when she speaks, everyone listens. Another featured troll is Rosa Sunfinger who places flowers in an improvised flower pot made of a real car, to watch the garden grow. Ibbi Pip is putting up birdhouses while another is listening to the ground.
Most importantly, the exhibition allows visitors to appreciate both nature and the sculptures as something beautiful and may inspire visitors to recycle and rethink and value their own trash. Presenting a playful spin on traditional sculptural art, Trolls: Save the Humans is an accessible experience for all ages.
Tom Zaller, President and CEO of Imagine shared, “Imagine is proud to partner with Thomas Dambo to bring the creative vision of Trolls: Save the Humans to the Adirondacks. We’re delighted to collaborate with The Wild Center on this incredible exhibition and to offer a new outdoor exhibition for visitors.”
“These trolls may look playful, but their message is serious—and timely,” said Stephanie Ratcliffe, Executive Director of The Wild Center. “Through Thomas Dambo’s art, we hope visitors of all ages will rediscover their sense of wonder and understand the powerful connection between creativity, sustainability, and protecting the natural world.”
“TROLLS: Save the Humans,” will highlight The Wild Center’s 20th anniversary season. The Center will offer related programming throughout the summer, including fairy house and birdhouse-building workshops, designed to spark creativity and deepen engagement with the natural environment. Learn more at wildcenter.org/trolls.
TROLLS: Save the Humans is supported through a Market New York grant awarded by Empire State Development and I LOVE NY, New York State’s Division of Tourism.
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About The Wild Center
The Wild Center invites visitors to discover the story of the Adirondacks, and to explore new ways that people and nature can thrive in the same place. Located in Tupper Lake, NY, The Wild Center uses science-based experiences, exhibits and programs to open new ways to look into the relationship that people have with nature and to promote environmental best practices. The Wild Center’s reimagined experience utilizes Wild Walk and its largely outdoor 115-acre campus.
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About the artist Thomas Dambo
Born in Odense, Denmark in 1979, Artist Thomas Dambo’s mission is to create art that inspires people to explore, have adventures in nature, and show that recycled goods can be turned into something beautiful. Before embarking on the path of building larger-than-life troll sculptures, Thomas led a multi-faceted life that allowed him to express his creativity via music, street art, and scenic design. After graduating from the Kolding Design School in Kolding, Denmark, with a master’s degree in interactive design, Thomas began his journey of using recycled materials to create colorful art installations, building the foundation for his artwork today. He currently lives and works in Copenhagen, Denmark.
About the Trolls
Dambo is best known for his colossal troll and ‘live’ as permanent or semi-permanent installations in parks, greenspaces, industrial parks, and in other site-specific locations around the world. Each folklore-inspired sculpture is imbued with expression and character and is built entirely from reclaimed materials. Driven by a mission to inspire people to explore our relationship with the planet, many of Dambo’s works have an associated folk tale written by Dambo himself that address the complex problem of our world in a fun and approachable way.
In the Spring of 2018, Dambo unveiled a temporary exhibition of trolls at The Morton Arboretum just outside of Chicago, IL. The exhibition was an enormous success, leading to the garden’s two highest attended years in its nearly 100-year history. During the run of the exhibition, 1.26 million people visited the arboretum. Inspired by the enthusiasm of the visitors and compelled to find a way to enable Dambo’s work to have a longer lifespan in the spirit of reducing, reusing, and recycling, Imagine Exhibitions is delighted to partner with Dambo to develop this evergreen traveling exhibition.
About Imagine
Imagine (formerly known as Imagine Exhibitions) is a global leader in immersive storytelling and experiential design, specializing in the development of world-class exhibitions and attractions for museums, studios, IPs, brands, and leisure destinations worldwide. Through its four core services—Exhibitions, Studio, Retail, and Operations—Imagine created visitor experiences that entertain, educate, and inspire.
Imagine’s Exhibitions division creates, tours, and operates award-winning traveling experiences like Harry Potter™: The Exhibition and Titanic: The Exhibition, captivating audiences and driving attendance worldwide. Its Studio plans, designs, and produces both traveling and permanent experiences, offering comprehensive creative services for clients seeking unique, story-driven experiences. The Retail division enhances guest engagement and drives revenue through bespoke product development, store design, and operations, while the Operations team provides extensive consulting, marketing, and operational support, ensuring the seamless and profitable management of visitor experiences across various venues.
Imagine is currently producing, presenting or operating more than 40 unique experiences around the globe, spanning museums, science centers, zoos, botanical gardens, integrated resorts, and non-traditional venues. For more information, visit theimagineteam.com.
For Business Related Inquiries Including Hosting the Exhibition
Debbie Donohue | +1.404.808.7578 | ddonohue@imagineexhibitions.com
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