The sculptor of a walrus that was controversially put to death due to safety concerns says she wants her work to serve as a “three-dimensional history lesson.”
Freya the walrus is depicted in the life-sized bronze statue as curled up on her side near the water on Oslo. An internet fundraising effort raised $25,000 for the artwork.
In 2022, Freya became a social media sensation, drawing huge crowds of both tourists and locals.
The young female, unlike most walruses, appeared unafraid of people and had been spending time at the Oslo Fjord, an inlet on the country’s southeast coast. The walrus was seen in videos climbing onto little boats to sunbathe.
Some visitors disregarded the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries’ warnings to remain a safe distance away from the creature. They instead got up close to take pictures or even throw things at her, putting themselves at risk. This led the directorate to decide to euthanize her, which infuriated many people around the nation.
Astri Tonoian, the statue’s sculptor, told CNN that she was glad to work on the project “almost for free” because it was a subject that meant a lot to her. It might provide a “three-dimensional history lesson,” she said.
She remarked, “In my head, my goal was to make an immortal symbol of people’s ability to mistreat not just wildlife but also humans.”
She thinks that the Directorate of Fisheries in Norway ought to have handled the circumstance more ethically. “The authorities could have acted more quickly and tried to move her instead of shooting her. They waited too long and it became dangerous for the people. They decided to do the ‘quick fix.”
The goal of the statute is not to incite people to despise the government as a whole but rather to “question the system” as a whole, she said.
In 2022 the directorate disclosed that it was looking into several options, including moving Freya out of the fjord. Director General Frank Bakke-Jensen, however, stated that “the extensive complexity of such an operation made us conclude that this was not a viable option.” He continued saying, “we have great regard for animal welfare, but human life and safety must take precedence,” he continued.
Female walruses weigh around 1,300 to 2,000 pounds, or 600 to 900 kilograms. The sea mammals typically avoid humans and keep away from the Norwegian coast.
