Urban spaces are increasingly being adapted for people to spend time and engage in activities, rather than for traffic. Traffic is often routed away from areas that offer high-quality environments for social interaction and recreation. Children, families, kindergartens, and schools require more space than a standard sidewalk can provide. In Sandviken, houses stand close together, and roads are situated right next to areas where people gather. Car-free pedestrian streets and recreational areas have now been created; these are inviting spaces that encourage activity, featuring elements such as play equipment, benches and tables, greenery, and beautiful stone steps and paving.
It is in this setting that one finds the cat sculptures — measuring 95 cm in length and weighing 325 kg — placed slightly at the back in quiet corners of the road. They are crafted from natural concrete and crushed granite. The sculptures serves as a park and play installation for children and others to enjoy.
The sculptures were created by Danish designer Lissy Boesen. She was originally commissioned to design a playground environment in Denmark in collaboration with a group of schoolchildren. The children's natural urge to climb and scramble inspired her to create the first of many animal sculptures designed specifically for this purpose. The cat was the first; later came frogs, crocodiles, dogs, hens, a horse, a teddy bear, turtles, and many others. She has been creating and decorating urban spaces, parks, and play areas with these large concrete and stone animal sculptures since 1985.
Lissy Boesen is a Danish designer who has created and supplied play sculptures to many European countries and the USA. Her figures are characterized by a soft expression, despite the hard materials used. Growing up on a farm on Lolland, Denmark, sparked her interest in beautiful stones, fascinating plants, and the animal world, laying the foundation for her designs, which are often inspired by nature. Her education includes studies in Paris at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière, as well as private tuition from renowned artists such as the painter Richard Mortensen. She graduated from the School of Architecture at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen in 1978.
These sculptures were most likely ordered directly from the designer. For those wishing to add such a figure to their residential area, park, or playground, it is still possible to obtain one in Norway through the retailer.
The setting in Skuteviksveien (pictured above) consists of older wooden houses along a beautifully paved, car-free street.
The setting of Nye Markevei (pictured above) is also idyllic, featuring a mix of older wooden houses, newer wooden houses, and modern buildings. At the end of the street lies the childhood home of the author Amalie Skram.