Pingvin (Penguin)

Have you noticed who is standing outside Rådhuset, slightly hidden next to an electrical cabinet?

Stortorget provides a magnificent central perspective through the city. Along the centre line of the square, you will find architecture and art in monumental formats from a range of eras. They claim solemn attention through their size, expression and central locations. Linnea Jörpeland takes a different approach to communicate through her sculptures. She likes to work in small formats and her art has been described as a quiet encounter between intellect, humour and everyday banalities. Her sculptures offer a break from the routine of the cityscape, here through an unexpected meeting with a penguin.

Penguin was first installed during OpenArt 2013 together with the even smaller Kameleont (Chameleon) by the same artist. More animals were also placed on Stortorget, several of which are still there today. Penguin was one of the works purchased by the city when the OpenArt biennial was over, and since then, it has had an eventful life to say the least.

The people of Örebro seem to have taken the penguin into their hearts and have time and again cared for it by dressing it in different clothing, putting patches or plasters on it, or equipping it with some sort of greeting. At the Blåklinten preschool in Varberga, the children have even developed their own safety and comfort programme for Penguin and come here now and then to care for the sculpture.

In the spring of 2020, Penguin suddenly vanished. The only thing that was left on the site was a penguin foot. The little penguin was found within 24 hours of Örebro Art Gallery issuing a search warrant, but not before the art theft had already given rise to thousands of shares on social media. The little bird is now once again in its rightful place, watching passers-by with its alert eyes. Can you find any other animals nearby?