Sculptures – Vårbergs Jättar The Vårberg Giants By Xavier Veilhan

Vårbergs Jättar » [The Vårberg Giants], 2020

Photo: Andreas Nur

Sculptures – Vårbergs Jättar The Vårberg Giants By Artist Xavier Veilhan.

 Vårbergs Jättar » [The Vårberg Giants], 2020

Photo:  Naina Helén Jåma

ABOUT PROJECT

For French artist Xavier Veilhan, there is a fundamental difference between making public art and the more personal kind which tends to end up in private collections, museums or galleries; the former gives you the opportunity to change the environment it occupies but it also imposes certain constraints. “In so-called art spaces”, as the artist explains, “you can develop things that are more experimental while in a public space you have to go straight to the point and make something immediately understandable”. Veilhan’s latest public art project, Vårbergs Jättar (The Vårberg Giants), which was recently inaugurated in Vårberg, a leafy suburb southwest of Stockholm, languorously encapsulates the artist’s creative approach and artistic philosophy vis-à-vis the public realm.

Vårbergs Jättar » [The Vårberg Giants], 2020

Photo:  Naina Helén Jåma

The project, which Veilhan co-signs with scenographer and long-time collaborator Alexis Bertrand, is the winning entry in a competition organized by the city of Stockholm and constitutes the largest work of art in its history as well as its biggest artistic investment. Two years in the making, The Vårberg Giants comprise a 19-metre-long reclining male figure and a 3-metre in height female bust in blue concrete that straddle the line between figuration and abstraction. Monumental as they are in size, they are far from sombre edifices or playful follies, in fact Veilhan has designed them to be integral parts of their surroundings as they can be used as a bench, table, meeting place or playground.

Vårbergs Jättar » [The Vårberg Giants], 2020

Photo: Robin Hayes

The two imposing sculptures take their names from the location they occupy in Vårberg. The larger of the two, the Pelousen Giant, is a reclining, bearded figure whose daunting dimensions (19 metres long, 9 metres wide and 5 metres high) are juxtaposed by his lackadaisical posture of serene repose. As relaxed, albeit in a more contemplative manner, is the smaller Stråkparken Giant, a female figure whose arms rest on the ground as if she’s sitting at a table. Although only three metres in height, she appears larger as half of her body seems to be positioned underground. Veilhan has placed her on a circular plateau that was designed as a stage, while her male counterpart features a small platform on his chest, that both invites the public to use them as a way to encourage communal happenings and spur creativity.

Vårbergs Jättar » [The Vårberg Giants], 2020

Photo:  Naina Helén Jåma

Vårbergs Jättar » [The Vårberg Giants], 2020

Photo: Robin Hayes

Vårbergs Jättar » [The Vårberg Giants], 2020

Photo: Naina Helén Jåma

Vårbergs Jättar » [The Vårberg Giants], 2020

Photo: Naina Helén Jåma

Find more sculptures previously featured on Diabolical Rabbit HERE

And more about these sculptures HERE