Four life-sized horse sculptures stand in the shallow water at Kvalsvik, a small cove about two kilometres north of Haugesund centre. They rise and disappear with the tide, which is the whole point.
The sculptures are by British artist Jason deCaires Taylor, best known for his underwater museums. The horses' heads have been replaced by oil pump jacks, the "nodding donkeys" you see on oil fields. Two horses are ridden by young people facing forward, two by suited older men with their eyes closed. The work is loosely based on the four horsemen of the Apocalypse and is a comment on our dependence on fossil fuels and rising sea levels.
The installation was originally placed in the River Thames in London in 2015, within sight of the Houses of Parliament. In 2019, the sculptures were moved here to Kvalsvik. Norway, as one of Europe's largest oil producers, is arguably a more fitting location.
The best time to visit is at low or mid tide, when you can see the full sculptures. At high tide they are partly or fully submerged. Check a tide table before you go. The cove is reachable on foot from Haraldshaugen via the coastal path, or by car with parking nearby.
The sculptures are by British artist Jason deCaires Taylor, best known for his underwater museums. The horses' heads have been replaced by oil pump jacks, the "nodding donkeys" you see on oil fields. Two horses are ridden by young people facing forward, two by suited older men with their eyes closed. The work is loosely based on the four horsemen of the Apocalypse and is a comment on our dependence on fossil fuels and rising sea levels.
The installation was originally placed in the River Thames in London in 2015, within sight of the Houses of Parliament. In 2019, the sculptures were moved here to Kvalsvik. Norway, as one of Europe's largest oil producers, is arguably a more fitting location.
The best time to visit is at low or mid tide, when you can see the full sculptures. At high tide they are partly or fully submerged. Check a tide table before you go. The cove is reachable on foot from Haraldshaugen via the coastal path, or by car with parking nearby.