It was in April that two of the geese and also the boy (pictured) disappeared from the sculpture. The city of Malmö reported the events to the police and one of Malmö’s most popular public works of art faced an uncertain future.
In August, however, a little hope was lit when one of the bronze geese returned to Malmö after being found at a scrap company in Hamburg and then being seized by the German police. And last Friday it became clear that the entire sculpture will be rebuilt. The assignment has gone to the artist Thomas Qvarsebo, who created the first version of Boy with geese.
– I am happy that it is the original artist who will recreate the artwork. It is a very popular work, it has been ever since it was installed in 1978, and there was a great deal of involvement among Malmö residents when parts of the sculpture were stolen, says Mattias Thelander, landscape engineer at the property and street office who was involved in the work with Boy with Geese.
Should be ready by summer
The sculpture will be restored in bronze, the same material the original version is made of. The time frame is for the artwork to be ready at the beginning of summer 2026. After that, paving and signage in the park environment must be in place before the work can be re-inaugurated. An important part is that Boy with Geese receives an alarm to prevent new thefts.
– We have worked with a priority list of many public works of art in the city regarding alarms, and of course alarms are included in this sculpture. It will already be prepared in the artist’s work with loops in the sculpture where it is possible to run cables to alarm equipment, says Mattias Thelander.
A question that remains is what will become of the remaining goose that was not stolen?
– Aesthetically speaking, it does not fit in the new sculpture as it has a different patina than the parts that are added, the artist believes. But the city of Malmö owns it and there are various possibilities for where it can go, says Mattias Thelander.
How will it feel when the sculpture is recreated and in place in Slottsparken again next year?
– It will feel very good. We are doing a large new planting behind the sculpture so the artwork will be framed by a grove of fine new black pines.
