📍 The Vigeland Park Vigeland Sculpture Park

The 212 statues in The Vigeland Park are all works of famous Norwegian sculptor Gustav Vigeland, so the park is named after him. The park's sculptures are famous because they symbolize a person's life, everything from the emotions of joy, anger and sorrow, the growth process of life, illness, and death, to the intertwining of feelings between people. Each sculpture is unique, showing a different experience in life and making people reflect on everything they have experienced in life. Admission to the park is free, and it's a must-see attraction when visiting Oslo.

💡 Location: Nobels Gate 32, 0268 Oslo (map requestClick here)
💡 Official website:vigeland.museum.no
💡 Opening hours: Open all day

The Vigeland Bridge - The Bridge of Life

The sculpture park starts from the 100-meter Vigeland Bridge. There are 58 bronze statues on the bridge. These statues only explain the interaction between us and our parents when we have just been born, and profoundly show our parents' blessings and nurturing feelings for us. As the beginning of life, it graphically carves every bit of the relationship between childhood and parents, which is very cozy. Each statue is unique, and our eyes seem to reflect a precious intertwined relationship of feelings. The time reminds us to be filial and repay our parents.

Other than the warm scene displayed on the bridge, I was very impressed by the statue standing at the end of the bridge. This statue is unlike any other; it is carved with a medieval dragon. European tradition sees dragons as evil forces, yet the sculptor Vigeland sees them as human internal flaws. Therefore, the surface of this statue is a young girl being haunted by an evil dragon, which actually symbolizes the deep confrontation between humanity and itself. Of course, every individual has a different way of looking at it, and some people also think that this statue represents a confrontation between humanity and natural forces.

Vigeland Fountain - The Fountain of Life

After walking over the Vigeland Bridge, you will reach the Vigeland Fountain. Different mythological stories are engraved on the fountain, which indicates that it is the source of life. Each statue on the fountain is different and depicts an experience of growth in life.

Bo-sho Momochi

Before reaching the Pillar of Life, you'll see a fence with six men engraved on it, communicating in their most primitive form. This column also addresses the “All Kinds of Girls” section on the other side. Passing through their bodies, you can see the Vigeland Fountain that they have just walked through. It's like saying that everyone has had a different experience in their lives, which made them who they are today.

Pillars of life

The Pillar of Life is the landmark of the entire Vigeland Sculpture Park. It is 17 meters tall and consists of 121 men and women at different stages of life. They all got together and hugged, tried to climb upward, and showed different expressions. I think this pillar of life symbolizes the most important meaning and goals in life. Everyone has their own goals in life, and they should do their best to advance towards them and actively move up. If we lose our goals in life, we will express pain and lose the meaning of survival, just like people at the bottom of the pillar of life.

The Pillar of Life is surrounded by various statues. Unlike what I just saw on the Vigeland Bridge, the statues here have different relationships and interactions. Some people are dependent on each other, and some are arguing. It's like a microcosm of life, making experiences from different periods pop up in our minds. Vigeland's statues profoundly make us reflect on our lives, not only cherish beautiful experiences, but also learn and grow from unhappy experiences.

Girls Momochi

After walking past the Pillar of Life, you will see a fence with six women engraved on it. They are also communicating in their most original form. This section is in contrast to the “All Types of Boys” section on the other side. Seen from the other side, you can see the Pillars of Life through their bodies. They also talk about the different experiences in each person's life.

The Ring of Life

Walking to the end of the sculpture park, you can see several people wrapped around each other, forming a circle of life. As the end of the park, the Circle of Life claims that life continues to live, and the death of a human being does not represent an end, but the beginning of another life. Our next generation will carry on, procreate from generation to generation, and arrange the next life experience.