Huge moss giants have captivated the interest of many in the backyard of Amos Rex – Kim Simonsson's exhibition Moss Giants opens today on 29 April 2024

Four bright-green, giant-like figures have temporarily set up camp in the courtyard at Lasipalatsi Square and on the terrace of Bio Rex. Kim Simonsson’s Moss Giants are about four metres high and communicate with each other through Finnish sign language. They have been acquired for Konstsamfundet, which has one of Finland’s most extensive private art collections.

“I had a vision of a large moss figure in the forest, so people would accidentally meet a friendly giant in the woods. That dream will become a reality, with the four giants moving to a forest glade at Söderlångvik,” Simonsson says. 

The moss giants will be discoverable in the forest at Söderlångvik manor on Kimito Island from spring 2025 onwards.

Simonsson describes his giants as utopian moss children. He has given each individual in the group their own specific task, with each task being equally important. One carries tools, while another has skis on his back. It is also worth paying attention to the moss giants’ hands, which play an important role: they communicate with each other, and with the outside world in sign language.

Sculptor Kim Simonsson lives and works in the artists’ village of Fiskars in Western Uusimaa. He has been working with ceramic moss figures for almost a decade – the moss giants are his most large-scale works so far.

The Moss Giants will be at Lasipalatsi Square from 29 April – 20 October 2024. The exhibition is curated by Kai Kartio.