Havmannen
Encyclopedia
Havmannen, or Havmann is a granite stone sculpture
by the English artist Antony Gormley
located in the city of Mo i Rana
in Northern Norway
. The sculpture stands proud in the "Ranfjord
" in the city of Mo i Rana
, which is often referred to in Norway as "Polarsirkelbyen" (in English: the "Arctic Circle
City"). The sculpture is 11 metres (36.1 ft) tall, weighs 60 tonnes (59.1 LT), and according to Lonely Planet
is "forever up to his knees in water, turns his back on the town and gazes resolutely out over the fjord
".
The artist originally envisaged the sculpture being created in steel, based on the traditional steel industry which was one of the pillars of industrial Mo i Rana
, and placed in the fjord
to illustrate the sharp contrasts between nature and industry. However, the local industry was undergoing major changes at the time, with what was effectively state subsidized and unprofitable factories being closed down, including the local steel works. Realizing the project using local steel therefore became impossible. As a result, Havmann was to become Antony Gormley
's first large stone sculpture.)
The sculpture
was created and erected in the Ranfjord
in 1995 as part of Artscape Nordland
, causing controversy and much debate in the local media, notably in the local paper Rana Blad
, which received hundreds of letters and over 300 poems dedicated to the sculpture. The local debate was ongoing for months, and mainly focused on two issues: whether the commissioning of the sculpture was good use of public money, and maybe less serious, a concern about the newly erected sculpture's lack of an erectable device. Despite the initial debate and controversy, citizens of Mo i Rana
today take pride in the sculpture by the internationally renowned artist Antony Gormley
and have adopted it as an ambassador for the town. The sculpture has inspired and given name to an annual festival, Havmanndagene (the "Havmann days") which is held in the city every year in May.
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
by the English artist Antony Gormley
Antony Gormley
Antony Mark David Gormley OBE RA is a British sculptor. His best known works include the Angel of the North, a public sculpture in the North of England, commissioned in 1995 and erected in February 1998, Another Place on Crosby Beach near Liverpool, and Event Horizon, a multi-part site...
located in the city of Mo i Rana
Mo i Rana
Mo i Rana is a town in the municipality of Rana, Nordland, Norway, located just south of the Arctic Circle and in the region Helgeland. The town is called "Mo i Rana" to distinquish it from other places named Mo - most notably the town of Mosjøen, also in Helgeland - though locally the town is...
in Northern Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. The sculpture stands proud in the "Ranfjord
Ranfjord
The Ranfjord is a fjord in the Helgeland district. The largest part of the fjord is in Rana municipality, Nordland county, Norway. The Ranelva meets the Ranfjord in Mo i Rana at the head of the fjord....
" in the city of Mo i Rana
Mo i Rana
Mo i Rana is a town in the municipality of Rana, Nordland, Norway, located just south of the Arctic Circle and in the region Helgeland. The town is called "Mo i Rana" to distinquish it from other places named Mo - most notably the town of Mosjøen, also in Helgeland - though locally the town is...
, which is often referred to in Norway as "Polarsirkelbyen" (in English: the "Arctic Circle
Arctic Circle
The Arctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. For Epoch 2011, it is the parallel of latitude that runs north of the Equator....
City"). The sculpture is 11 metres (36.1 ft) tall, weighs 60 tonnes (59.1 LT), and according to Lonely Planet
Lonely Planet
Lonely Planet is the largest travel guide book and digital media publisher in the world. The company is owned by BBC Worldwide, which bought a 75% share from the founders Maureen and Tony Wheeler in 2007 and the final 25% in February 2011...
is "forever up to his knees in water, turns his back on the town and gazes resolutely out over the fjord
Fjord
Geologically, a fjord is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created in a valley carved by glacial activity.-Formation:A fjord is formed when a glacier cuts a U-shaped valley by abrasion of the surrounding bedrock. Glacial melting is accompanied by rebound of Earth's crust as the ice...
".
The artist originally envisaged the sculpture being created in steel, based on the traditional steel industry which was one of the pillars of industrial Mo i Rana
Mo i Rana
Mo i Rana is a town in the municipality of Rana, Nordland, Norway, located just south of the Arctic Circle and in the region Helgeland. The town is called "Mo i Rana" to distinquish it from other places named Mo - most notably the town of Mosjøen, also in Helgeland - though locally the town is...
, and placed in the fjord
Fjord
Geologically, a fjord is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created in a valley carved by glacial activity.-Formation:A fjord is formed when a glacier cuts a U-shaped valley by abrasion of the surrounding bedrock. Glacial melting is accompanied by rebound of Earth's crust as the ice...
to illustrate the sharp contrasts between nature and industry. However, the local industry was undergoing major changes at the time, with what was effectively state subsidized and unprofitable factories being closed down, including the local steel works. Realizing the project using local steel therefore became impossible. As a result, Havmann was to become Antony Gormley
Antony Gormley
Antony Mark David Gormley OBE RA is a British sculptor. His best known works include the Angel of the North, a public sculpture in the North of England, commissioned in 1995 and erected in February 1998, Another Place on Crosby Beach near Liverpool, and Event Horizon, a multi-part site...
's first large stone sculpture.)
The sculpture
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
was created and erected in the Ranfjord
Ranfjord
The Ranfjord is a fjord in the Helgeland district. The largest part of the fjord is in Rana municipality, Nordland county, Norway. The Ranelva meets the Ranfjord in Mo i Rana at the head of the fjord....
in 1995 as part of Artscape Nordland
Artscape Nordland
Artscape Nordland is an international art project that aims to bring art to people where they live, art museums being few and far apart in the sparsely populated county of Nordland....
, causing controversy and much debate in the local media, notably in the local paper Rana Blad
Rana Blad
Rana Blad is a daily, regional newspaper published in Mo i Rana, Norway. With a circulation of 10,595, it covers Northern Helgeland. The newspaper is owned by A-Pressen....
, which received hundreds of letters and over 300 poems dedicated to the sculpture. The local debate was ongoing for months, and mainly focused on two issues: whether the commissioning of the sculpture was good use of public money, and maybe less serious, a concern about the newly erected sculpture's lack of an erectable device. Despite the initial debate and controversy, citizens of Mo i Rana
Mo i Rana
Mo i Rana is a town in the municipality of Rana, Nordland, Norway, located just south of the Arctic Circle and in the region Helgeland. The town is called "Mo i Rana" to distinquish it from other places named Mo - most notably the town of Mosjøen, also in Helgeland - though locally the town is...
today take pride in the sculpture by the internationally renowned artist Antony Gormley
Antony Gormley
Antony Mark David Gormley OBE RA is a British sculptor. His best known works include the Angel of the North, a public sculpture in the North of England, commissioned in 1995 and erected in February 1998, Another Place on Crosby Beach near Liverpool, and Event Horizon, a multi-part site...
and have adopted it as an ambassador for the town. The sculpture has inspired and given name to an annual festival, Havmanndagene (the "Havmann days") which is held in the city every year in May.