Five fun outdoor art works you should see in Oslo

1. Red Santa with "Christmas tree"

Location: Konows gate / Kongsveien / Oslogate
Artist: Paul McCarthy

Paul McCarthy has come to Oslo! The controversial artist recently unveiled his sculpture Santa, a six-meter tall, bright red cast iron rendition of the familiar holiday icon holding a … uhm, “Christmas tree”.

It took the city of Rotterdam seven years to find a spot for their version of the gnome. Oslo's edition is solidly erected in the middle of a roundabout.

2. Musical parking meter - Shall we dance?

Location: Right by Akershus Fortress
Artist: Marisa Ferreira 

Oslo’s city government is working hard to rid the city centre of as many cars as possible, and empty streets and parking lots have inspired a new artistic genre: post-traffic art installations. Such as this parking lot near Akershus Fortress, now an artwork on the ground, with colourful geometric figures and concrete blocks.

3. The princess' rainbow

Location: The Palace Park
Artists: Emilie Forsmo Bratberg and Kaisa Øksdahl

HRH Princess Ingrid Alexandra has founded a children’s sculpture park in her grandparents’ garden, the Palace Park, with art works designed by sixth graders from all across Norway. The sculpture Roggbif, named after the Norwegian acronym for all the colours of the rainbow, is one of our favourites.

4. Tricolore toilets – Liberté

Location: Spikersuppa
Artist: Lars Ramberg

Although Oslo admittedly isn’t rich in public bathrooms, you’ll find a rather extraordinary one in the city centre. Right by the Norwegian Parliament lies the public toilet installation Liberté: Three original French street toilets painted in the colours of the Tricolore. While doing your business, you can listen to recordings of WW2 speeches by Franklin D. Roosevelt, Charles de Gaulle and Norway’s King Haakon.

What do toilets have to do with equality, liberty and fraternity, you may wonder. Supposedly, the availability of public bathrooms was an important request during the French revolution...

5. Kate Moss in yoga pose – Sphinx

Location: Folketeaterpassasjen
Artist: Mark Quinn

You may be surprised to learn that Oslo is home to a three metre tall sculpture portrait of supermodel Kate Moss, holding an impressive yoga pose. The Directorate of Cultural Heritage have tried to have her removed from the historic building complex she resides in, but she has firmly held her grounds.

According to the artist, the sculpture, entitled Sphinx, shows “a mirror of ourselves, a knotted Venus of our age”.