The Men at Sea of Esbjerg, Denmark
Arriving from the North Sea, travelers to the old seaport town of Esbjerg in Denmark will be greeted by colossal monuments in the form of four men sitting on a chair.
Called “Man Meets the Sea” or “Men at Sea,” these monumental sculptures are the work of Svend Wiig Hansen, who created them in occasion of Esbjerg 100th anniversary celebration as an independent municipality in 1994. The concept behind the artwork is the encounter of pure, innocent Man with nature. Unsullied Man before rising up and beginning to act; Man before things started to go wrong, before he got “dirt” on his hands. The sculptures embody this concept in their tall, column-like statures, rigid like the Pharaohs of Egyptian temples, possessing a sacred, universal aura.
Because of its sheer size and stature, the monument has become a landmark for Esbjerg, and can be seen 10 kilometers away from the shore.
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