The Big Elk

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.

Not to be confused with 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)
ArtistLinda Bakke
Completion date2015
MediumPolished stainless steel sculpture
SubjectMoose
Dimensions10.3 m (34 ft)
LocationAtna, Norway
Coordinates61°40′04″N 10°53′04″E

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
  1. 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.
  2. Vivian Stensrud (15 October 2015) Storelgen er på plass NRK. Retrieved 30 January 2019
  3. Rune Hagen (27 July 2015) "Her er de første bildene av verdens største elg". Østlendingen. Retrieved 1 February 2019
  4. "The World's Biggest Elk Statue – In Norway". Daily Scandinavian. 10 July 2015. Retrieved 31 January 2019
  5. Leyland Cecco (18 January 2019) An egregious offence': Canada battles Norway for tallest moose statue The Guardian
  6. 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
  7. Øistein Norum Monsen and Halldor Hustadnes (17 January 2019) Canada erklærer elg-krig mot Norge Dagbladet. Retrieved 1 February 2019
  9. There's some major beef between Canada and Norway over their giant moose statues Metro. Retrieved 13 March 2019
  10. "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.
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