(Briefly translated from an article “Madonna in the open air” of Kristin von Hirsch on the newspaper Klassekampen No. 140 on 20 June 2009)

The last will

A Norwegian female landowner Anne Margrethe Bugges in the  municipality of Sigdal in Norway had a last will before dying. She wanted to have a sculpture of Madonna placed on the top of the mountain in her property. She donated her properties to the municipality on the condition that a sculpture of Madonna with a child should be placed there. The municipality received the gift in 1989. But because of many other tasks for the municipality, time passed until 2002. Then the area became a nature reserve with special restrictions. The municipality had to apply for placing the sculpture to both the county municipality and the authorities for nature reserves. In the meanwhile the sculptor Turid Angel Eng was asked to make a sketch of the sculpture which was thought to be in bronze. The sculptor was very fascinated by the idea. She thought it was like a fairy-tale: Imagine people walking in the dark landscape and suddenly discovering a beautiful Madonna sculpture with her child…

Unexpected problems arose

The upper authorities of the local authorities had different ideas with the sculptor. The answer was “no” to place a bronze sculpture in the nature reserve. The municipality where Madame Bugges had lived was thankful for the donation and did not give up. A creative solution was found. It was recommended that the sculpture should be placed just outside but very close to the nature reserve. Everybody accepted this and decided to change the material from bronze to stone.

Vietnam

The sculptor Eng went to Vietnam, to the Danang Sculpture Center together with her daughter. Eng had sent her sketch to them. When they arrived in the Danang Sculpture Center and saw the Madonna and her child roughly cut in granite, the sculptor was sure to have found the right material and the best carvers in a good place to finish the sculpture. The sculptor Eng and her daughter stayed for two weeks and became very enthusiastic about the Center and the beautiful surroundings close to the Marble Mountains.

The Center, now called the Danang Sculpture Foundation, was set up in 2001 by a Norwegian sculptor, Mr. Oyvin Storbaekken in cooperation with the Nordic Assistance to Vietnam (NAV) and the Danang Fine Art Association (www.danangsculpture.com).

Madonna and her child was excellently carved in granite and shipped to Norway. The last distance in Norway Madonna and her child had to travel by helicopter because there is no road in the national reserve. As the pictures show, they were safely placed on the right spot and directly broadcast on the Norwegian national television. The sculptor was happy, the audience was enthusiastic and hoped that the soul of Mrs. Bugges could rest in peace. And it was an adventure! Madonna with her child was placed in the open air on top of a mountain in Norway, linked the long distance from Vietnam to here. They will be reminded forever as all of us must have a dream and never give it up. This also reminds us of the cooperation and friendship between Norway and Vietnam. At the ceremony many Vietnamese people living in Norway also participated.