A new attraction has opened in Oslo which would be perfect for excursions in the city if you arrive on a cruise ship. The Ekeberg Sculpture Park is a brand new addition which has been completely donated by Christian Ringnes, a businessman from the country.
The park covers 63 acres on a hill overlooking the city, with a forest landscape making it a delight to just walk around even without the 31 sculptures that have been purchased. The cost of the entire park, including the artworks and the required facilities, is approximately $50 million.
Surprisingly there were a number of people who, in the time since the park was first planned, have voiced their disapproval. This hasn’t been at the idea of having a park, but it’s more been a suspicion that Ringnes was doing this for his own good, to exploit the region, and there were a lot of protests and demonstrations against Ringnes and the “corrupt” city officials who granted permission.
Ringnes himself said “I knew there would be protests, but not so strong or so many.” He also said that even through some of the vitriol, he took every criticism and comment seriously because it would all go towards ensuring that it “made the park better”. He’s also set up a foundation to help pay for the maintenance of the park over the next 50 years.
It’s a generous gift, and one that will make for an interesting excursion. All of the sculptures are themed around the idea of paying “homage to woman”, with numerous works from internationally-renowned artists, with much inspiration drawn from the area as well. There is space for up to 80 statues in total in the park so it’s expected that over the coming years, many additions will be made as popularity grows and expansion occurs.
By Ian Lewis
Google
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