'Trash Turns to Treasure': Meet Thomas Dambo Who Creates Gigantic Figures and Hides Them for a Hunt

Thomas Dambo's quest led him to the idea of turning trash into treasure in a city dump in Minnesota.

He discovered large yellow plastic bins that had been discarded by a tool manufacturing company. He reached out to the company to request the rest of the bins, saying, “They were perfect for the rabbit.”

Dambo, a Danish artist, collected the trash and dragged in about 25 tons of scrap wood. He then gathered 300 volunteers in Detroit Lakes, Minn., to create a gigantic outdoor public art installation.

Dambo and his volunteers-built artworks ranging from 16 to 42 feet tall in hidden parks around the city. They constructed five enormous trolls, and a looming golden rabbit accented with salvaged wiper-blade whiskers and motorcycle helmets for eyes.

Dambo stated that his ultimate goal is to have trolls surprising people in every state. He has placed 139 oversized trash trolls in 19 states across the U.S., from Washington to Maine, as well as in 20 countries.

The creator of the mythical giants used five tons of scrap wood to build each troll in Minnesota and mentioned that he is eyeing another 12 million tons of recyclable scrap wood across the country.