TROLLS are coming soon to Filoli!
Opens June 7, 2025
TROLLS: Save the Humans opens this summer at Filoli. The special exhibition features six folklore-inspired activist Trolls that have come to teach humans how to rediscover nature and to inspire humans to be good stewards of the earth.
This all-new touring exhibition featuring Thomas Dambo’s signature folklore-inspired Troll sculptures are built from reclaimed materials and will delight visitors of all ages. The outdoor exhibition will fuse fairytales, whimsy, and incredible art installations to inspire visitors to explore themes such as recycling and reusing trash, the importance of plants and gardens, art and more.
These giant creatures will be located within Filoli's Natural Lands for guests to discover on their adventures through the property.
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Meet the Trolls!
Basse Buller
The Painting Troll
Basse Buller is the wild one. Inspired by the nature he lives in, he makes his marks with stones, leaves, sticks, or anything that he can find enough of. He is funny, loud, and gets his muddy paint everywhere in an effort to lead the humans onto the right path.
Ibbi Pip
The Birdhouse Troll
Ibbi Pip is handy, optimistic, and a friend of all animals. Ibbi has seen how humans build little houses to bring the birds closer to them. So she puts up colorful birdhouses everywhere in the hope that the humans will think more about whom they share the world with.
Kamma Can
The Treasure Troll
Kamma Can is a creator. Where humans see trash, she sees potential. She doesn’t understand why the humans just throw it away and leave it in the weirdest places. Being a creative spirit, she can think of a million ways to make nice things with all those beautiful colors.
Ronja Redeye
The Speaker Troll
Ronja speaks from her heart and is really good with words. Although she is the smallest of the group that wants to save the humans, she is a natural leader. Her mouth picks rhymes like flowers from a field and shapes them into a poem, a song, a tale, or a cheerful roaring through the forest.
Rosa Sunfinger
The Botanical Troll
Rosa is a soft, introverted troll who cares for plants and other green creatures with her life-giving fingers. She brings back life where humans have abandoned it. She spreads her wisdom by showing how plants can make even the most useless items come back to life.
Sofus Lotus
The Listening Troll
Sofus Lotus pays great attention to the little things. He uses his ears to hear every little crackle, thud, and buzz. He was the first one to notice that something was wrong with the world and that nature was changing its rhythm.
About Thomas Dambo
Thomas Dambo is considered the world’s leading recycle artist, having been taught from a young age the value of recycling, sustainability, and unlimited imagination. Previously, Thomas has led a multifaceted life that allowed him to express his creativity via music, street art, and scenic design. After graduating from the Kolding Design School with a master’s degree in interactive design, Thomas began his current journey of using recycled materials to create colorful art installations, building the foundation for his artwork today.
Thomas’ high level of creativity drives the creation of highly interactive experiences, allowing users to express their own individuality on a large scale. From gardens made of recycled plastics to a functioning Christmas market made from commercial refuse, Thomas creates experiences that are immersive, interactive, and awe-inspiring. Today, Thomas is known internationally for his larger-than-life Troll sculptures made from recycled wood. With 87 sculptures all over the world, these Trolls have begun to have a life of their own.
Thomas’ vision is to create art that inspires people to go explore, have adventures in nature, and demonstrates that trash can be turned into something beautiful.
TROLLS: Save the Humans is generously sponsored by:
Basse Buller
Sponsored by:
Filoli's Board of Directors
Ibbi Pip
Sponsored by:
The Wollenberg Family
Ronja Redeye
Sponsored by:
Sofus Lotus
Sponsored by:
Dennis and Julie Carlson and Family