Part of Odense's H.C. Andersen sculptures

Across Odense, you'll find artworks inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's life and fairy tales. The Flying Trunk is one of them. The sculpture stands in the middle of the fountain at Ove Sprogøes Plads, where it appears to hover just above the water.

At first glance, the trunk is the first thing that catches the eye. Looking more closely, you'll notice the three towers supporting it. They refer to the mosques the main character encounters on his journey to the distant land described in Andersen's fairy tale.

More than an illustration of a fairy tale

Although the sculpture is based on a specific story, it is much more than a visual retelling of a moment from the fairy tale. The trunk, the floating spheres and the striking towers give the work a sense of lightness that reflects the story's themes of adventure, imagination and escape from everyday life.

The longer you look, the more details begin to emerge. Sharp geometric forms meet soft, flowing lines, and the sculpture seems to change depending on the angle from which you view it. That is one of the reasons it continues to capture attention more than three decades after it was unveiled.

Jens-Flemming Sørensen

Jens-Flemming Sørensen (1933-2017) worked throughout his career in bronze, granite and marble and became known for a distinctive style that combined organic shapes, spheres and architectural elements. He created a number of public artworks, and the balance between the dreamlike and the familiar is also a defining feature of The Flying Trunk.

Standing by the fountain and watching the trunk rise above the water, it is easy to see why the sculpture has become part of Odense's many H.C. Andersen-inspired sculptures. It is a work of art that does not tell the whole story for you, but leaves room for your own imagination to take flight.