The Big Elk
| The Big Elk | |
|---|---|
 The sculpture next to National Road 3 | |
  The Big Elk Location in Norway  The Big Elk The Big Elk (Norway) | |
| Artist | Linda Bakke |
| Completion date | 2015 |
| Medium | Polished stainless steel sculpture |
| Subject | Moose |
| Dimensions | 10.3 m (34 ft) |
| Location | Atna, Norway |
| 61°40′04″N 10°53′04″E / 61.667779°N 10.884358°E | |
The Big Elk, also known as Storelgen (meaning 'big elk' in Norwegian), is the world's second-tallest sculpture of a moose (Alces alces). Moose are often called elk in Europe. It is near the village of Atna in Stor-Elvdal, Hedmark, Norway.[1] It held the title of the tallest moose sculpture for 4 years, from its completion in October 2015 until October 2019.
The sculpture
Paid for by a donation from Sparebank1 Hedmark art foundation,[2] the sculpture was created by the Norwegian artist Linda Bakke in conjunction with the Norwegian Public Roads Administration (NPRA). It was officially unveiled on 15 October 2015.[3] It is close to National Road 3 and is an attempt to reduce traffic accidents by encouraging drivers to take a break and be aware of wildlife on the roads. Stor-Elvdal has Norway's third-highest moose population.[2]
The project started in 2009.[2] The building and installation of the sculpture took around six months.[1] It was produced in Beijing, China, as a Chinese bidder had the best offer both in economic terms and with regard to quality.[4] It is made of polished stainless steel.[5] The height is 10.3 metres (34 ft),[6] and at the time of its completion it was about 50 centimetres (20 in) taller than Mac the Moose in Canada.[4][7] The sculpture cost a little more than €200,000 (about US$236,000), and the Bjøråa picnic area and rest stop in the area, created by the NPRA, is worth €2.7 million (about $3 million).[2]
Rivalry and media coverage
In January 2019, Canadian comedians Justin Reves and Greg Moore highlighted the fact that The Big Elk was the world's tallest moose statue[5] and called on Canadians to add to the height of Mac the Moose which previously held the title. The comedians set up a GoFundMe page to hire an engineer to make Mac taller, hoping to raise C$50,000. This created widespread attention in Canadian media and international media.[5][8]
Fraser Tolmie, the mayor of Moose Jaw, told the BBC: 'We're considered to be very mannerly and respectful, but there are things you just don't do to Canadians. You don't mess with Mac the Moose.' A popular suggestion, according to the mayor, is to make Mac's antlers larger, while others have suggested adding a pair of stilettos.[9] In October 2019, a new set of antlers was added to Mac the Moose, making it taller than the Big Elk.[10]
References
- ^ a b Atter, Heidi (20 January 2019). "'Fun to beat Canada': artist behind World's Largest Moose weighs in on Canada-Norway moose debate". CBC News. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
- ^ a b c d Vivian Stensrud (15 October 2015) Storelgen er på plass NRK. Retrieved 30 January 2019
- ^ Rune Hagen (27 July 2015) "Her er de første bildene av verdens største elg". Østlendingen. Retrieved 1 February 2019
- ^ a b "The World's Biggest Elk Statue – In Norway". Daily Scandinavian. 10 July 2015. Retrieved 31 January 2019
- ^ a b c Leyland Cecco (18 January 2019) An egregious offence': Canada battles Norway for tallest moose statue The Guardian
- ^ Vaaju.com "Mac the Moose vs. Storelgen – The price of a new 20 meter high moose in gold is ready". Vaaju.com. Retrieved 12 March 2019
- ^ Øistein Norum Monsen and Halldor Hustadnes (17 January 2019) Canada erklærer elg-krig mot Norge Dagbladet. Retrieved 1 February 2019
- ^
- Norway and Canada battle for the title of the world's tallest moose statue Evening Standard. Retrieved 13 March 2019
- Rebecca Hill (29 January 2019) Canadians moot methods to embiggen moose monument and make Mac great again The Register
- Sandra E. Garcia (20 January 2019) Norway and Canada Go Head to Head Over the World's Tallest Moose Statues New York Times. Retrieved 30 January 2019
- ^ There's some major beef between Canada and Norway over their giant moose statues Metro. Retrieved 13 March 2019
- ^ "Mac the Moose reclaims world's tallest moose title after getting new rack". CBC News. The Canadian Press. 8 October 2019. Retrieved 9 October 2019.