Grass Root Square by Do Ho Suh

The stones come from the granite foundations of Grass Root Square by Do Ho Suh.

The work was first installed at Teatergata, R6, Oslo, but has now been moved to the new Government Quarter.

Do Ho Suh won the international competition for best outdoor project in 2009 with the work Grass Roots Square. It is placed under and between the slabs of the open square facing Munchsgate andincludes a tree that casts shade over the square on hot summer days. What from a distance may look like fields of grass between the slabs turns out to be several tens of thousands of small, green-patinated bronze figures. The sculptures, which are 7–15 centimetres high, come in four hundred different variations. Up close, the great wealth of detail becomes apparent. The figures are of different ages, ethnicities and genders, and give the impression of individuality while at the same time being part of a strong and united mass. In contrast to classic, monumental sculptures, the work is kept close to the ground, and the artist himself says of Grass Roots Square that it is “at the same height as the square and the public. It is this level, the grassroots level, from which one should view society”. The horizontal artwork is connected to the facades of the red oak that rises between the figures and the building. In June 2023, the work was taken down from its location at Teatergata 9. In 2024, it was moved to a new location at Einar Gerhardsens plass, which is being rebuilt on the east side of Høgblokka in the new Government Quarter. There, it will be accessible to the public when the square reopens.

Relocation of the beloved artwork Grass Roots Square – KORO

The work consists of approximately 50,000 bronze sculptures, with the repetition of 400 unique figures.